Tea: Bai Hao Oolong (Oriental Beauty) Superior Grade
An Oriental Beauty from Life in Teacup
Brand: | Life in Teacup |
Style: | Oriental Beauty |
Region: | Hsinchu (County), Taiwan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Loose? | Loose |
# Ratings: | 1 View All |
Product page: | Bai Hao Oolong (Oriental Beauty) Superior Grade |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1452 teas reviewed
✓ 5 of Oriental Beauty
✓ 143 of Oolong Tea
✓ 29 of Life in Teacup
✓ 1 from Hsinchu (County), Taiwan
✓ 75 from Taiwan / Formosa
Review of Bai Hao Oolong (Oriental Beauty) Superior Grade
December 17th, 2010
Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
6 of 10 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 53 of 100 |
Good | Mediocre | Overpriced |
Thank you Marlena for sharing this one with me!
Fruity and complex aroma, but completely without bitterness or bite, even when using a generous amount of leaf and steeping for a long time. The overall character of the cup is Darjeeling-like, although with less edge. Although it's mild in terms of aroma and bitterness, there is a lot of body to this tea: it is not at all thin.
Aroma is predominantly like dried fruit and cooked fruit, especially raisin / grape, perhaps even a hint of cooked strawberry. The aroma is something I would want in a pie or cookie, not a tea.
I've tried brewing different ways. Making two infusions, 2 min and 5 was the way I settled on that I liked the most. The second infusion was lighter, and sweeter. The aroma was light, perfumey, and almost candy-like. Making one 7-minute infusion, the fruity quality was almost too strong for me and I found the tea was thick and syrupy, and there was a hint of autumn leaves in the finish, reminiscent of a shou mei, but the flavor was still too subtle for my tastes.
I can recognize that this is a high-quality tea but I still just can't get into this style of tea, both on the high or low end of offerings. This particular one is also exceptionally pricey, and although I am not crazy about any bai hao oolong, I don't prefer this tea any amount to the cheaper ones I've had. And I'd rather pay less for a completely different style of tea...in my opinion this is most similar to a Darjeeling black or a Shou mei. People who love pure teas with a dried fruit aroma and no bitterness may love this one.