Lao Shan Green Tea:
A fresh Chinese green with astonishing similarity to Gyokuro. Nutty. Rich, thick body. Savory. Smooth with a touch of grassy astringency. Mouthwatering chlorophyll crisp sweetness (like endives or romaine lettuce). Long-lingering vaporous feeling in the throat.
Floral characteristics as it cools are similar to those found in lightly brewed first flush Darjeeling.
Good lasting ability; I was expecting the first brew to taste like the third. Subsequent infusions are more delicate with dry flowers (gardenia), lingering bitter similar to very dark cocoa, and later a pleasant light milky sour that hangs around for quite some time, enticing you to go and have some more.
Best results for range of flavors without the blanket nut and cut grass combination taking over was using 2.5g per 100mL water at 80 C and brewing 1 min 30 sec, followed by 2 min at 75 C, then 2 min at 85 C, terminating at the third infusion. Four good brews can be achieved using 4g per 100mL, but sacrifices to flavor range and balance in the first infision are the cost. I recommend trending on the shorter steep time (perhaps as short as 45 sec using 85 C water) for the greatest ease in producing approachable flavor from this tea.
A very hefty green tea that can accompany food well, but works even better as a finisher to a meal.
Yellow Mountain Fur Peak:
Refreshing mellow green tea. Crisp, sweet green bean flavor with aspects of bamboo shoots and water chestnut. Butter lettuce becomes dominant in second infusion and blanched baby spinach comes forward along with extra sweetness and light acidity for third and fourth brews. Excellent, well-rounded Mao Feng that can go for far more brews than I'd typically expect of a green tea. Managed to drag out seven infusions from 4g in 25mL water at 75 C at 1 min to begin and an extra 30 sec for each new one that all made for pleasant, light brews. Better range of greenery notes come out using water 85-90 C while more light aromas of carnation and sedge/rushes come through at 75-80 C, though flavor will be lighter.
Really sweet throughout the different methods of brewing and ultimately attractive in all aspects - fragrance, leaf appearance, brewed aroma, tactile balance, nose, and taste are all in harmony and express light chlorophyll and pollen characteristics that are the embodiment of early spring.
Iron Goddess (Traditional):
Using the recommended brewing parameters on the website of 4g per 100mL boiling water for 45 sec seemed a bit daunting for such a lightly oxidized oolong, but I went ahead and gave it a try (using water not-quite reaching a boil, at 98 C).
Infusion 1:
Very green, buttery oolong. Predominant aroma is uncut marsh grasses (sedges and rushes). Lightly sweet and refreshing, but not a ton going on. Very smooth and mellow.
Infusion 2:
More body, much more balanced. More faint vanilla and jasmine in flavor. Surprising to get delicate flavors in spite of such high heat.
Infusion 3:
Ah, that's much better! Lingering aftertaste incorporates honey-butter and cherry blossom aromas/flavors atop a butter lettuce or kale base. Light lingering milky taste. Comforting and smooth. Tasty, though not my all time favorite at this oxidation level. Very good for the price.
Infusion 4:
Baby spinach all the way. Not many flavors to be gotten from here on, though it can be brewed three more times.
Using 6g in 60mL at 85 C with a rinse and 10 sec for first three infusions and adding 10 sec from then on produced a heady, floral progression of twelve brews showcasing a myriad of flower-infused butters accented with light spices. Cardamom, pepper, and clove all made guest appearances, though the base remained a light blanched baby spinach throughout.
I tend to prefer higher oxidation levels for tieguanyin, but this is an approachable, basic example with better balance (though perhaps not as great a range of expression) than most of the even-lighter ones out there.
Shui Xian:
Very fruity, supremely smooth example of this type of oolong! The charcoal edge is right on the boarder line between light and heavy roast, making this a great jumping point into WuYi YanCha for those unfamiliar to them.
Ripe white peach fruit undertones with light peach-pit and clove woodiness and an Amaryllis afteraroma. Brewing ratio dramatically influences body, which can easily reach up to a fuller mouthfeel level, but the flavor will skew to the roasty side if bumped above 4g per 100mL (though you may still enjoy up to 7g very much, especially with short infusions).
Definitely not your average teahouse Shui Xian / Rou Gui generic oolong. Leaves are far more intact than I'm used to and it takes until the seventh infusion to get them really opened up and for the flavor to really start diminishing. Most brews are really consistent between one-another when using 3-4g, making this exceptionally easy to brew. To me, this seems a nice second grade (or really good third) Shui Xian that I'll be recommending.
Tan Yang:
Excellent red tea! Full body and great balance of sweet & sour. Smooth yet with a pleasant light acidity and full bodied. Rose is the predominant characteristic, but other bouquet-flowers are right alongside (notably carnation, but tulip is more obvious as it cools). Great balance between the flavors of a Dian Hong, Keemun Mao Feng, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri. Wasn't expecting such a range of characteristics. If using more tea (2.5g-3g) more malt and wood comes out and hints of shaved bittersweet chocolate. Lighter brews (1.5g-2g) are more delicate with lighter magnolia-like florals and grape notes. Nice to be able to shift so dramatically yet remain completely approachable. Produces four quick-to-disappear infusions, but not quite worth brewing a fifth. Very accommodating for different brewing parameters and styles. I burned through this sample and will definitely be buying more - it is a steal for the price it is listed at!
Yi Hong:
Crisp and sweet. Reminiscent of some of the balanced woody notes Hojicha can exhibit. A tad more flavor than expected, considering the moderate body. Like a more refreshing cousin to a Dian Hong but with similar flavor. Notes of cocoa and browned oats come forward as it cools and a terrifically balanced lingering sour and toasty sweet honey wheat toast flavor comes in through the aftertaste. Not the most exciting tea ever, but darned good and something I'd be happy to drink all day long.
Unfortunately, unless you use more than 2.5g per 100mL and a first infusion shorter than 1 min 30 sec, subsequent infusions can be disappointing. First time I went for a second infusion I was presented wit a tea that was much, much lighter and with a somewhat unpleasant mineral oil or slightly burned rice taste that sorta sat on the tip of my tongue. This burned rice taste then becomes more evident in the third infusion, though there's little else to speak of in terms of flavor at that point. Use a 2g per 100mL dose for 2 min for one nice brew, but otherwise aim a bit higher for this particular Yi Hong. For multiple brews, I'd suggest up to 4g and water a tad cooler than boiling, around 95 C.
