Tea: Tie-Guan-Yin Oolong First Grade
A Tie Guan Yin from Upton Tea Imports
Brand: | Upton Tea Imports |
Style: | Tie Guan Yin |
Region: | China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Loose? | Loose |
# Ratings: | 3 View All |
Product page: | Tie-Guan-Yin Oolong First Grade |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 21 of Tie Guan Yin
✓ 143 of Oolong Tea
✓ 173 of Upton Tea Imports
✓ 382 from China
Review of Tie-Guan-Yin Oolong First Grade
March 16th, 2010
Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
8 of 10 | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 67 of 100 |
Excellent | Fair | Good Value |
The tightly curled brown leaves unfurl only partially when brewing...producing a tea that's completely clear and golden in color.
Complex aroma, strongly suggesting apricot, and also having some skunky tones, and a hint of olive. Smooth, mellow flavor, contrasting with the aroma, which suggests a sharper tea. No astringency and almost no bitterness. A hint of sourness, which sinks to the bottom of the cup. Thin-bodied, like ZO78.
I followed Upton's recommendations for brewing, but I found it's important to brew for the full 5 minutes (or possibly longer), and to use a generous quantity of leaf, in order to keep the thinness of this tea in check.
I tried brewing at a higher temperature in the hope of obtaining a more full-bodied cup, but this yielded poor results: it destroyed the complexity of the aroma, and yet the tea was still very thin-bodied.
I wasn't able to get multiple infusions out of this tea. After the first 5 minute infusion, there's almost nothing left in the second cup.
This is a good tea, and I would imagine that people who like more delicate teas might love this one. I found it too thin for me. It's also pricey.
I strongly prefer Upton's Se Chung oolong (ZO10); it is much cheaper, and has some elements of the aroma in common with this tea, but is much richer, and does better with multiple infusions.