Yixing Xuan is one of my favourite teahouses in Singapore. I love meeting friends there to introduce them to the wonders of gongfu cha, and the dim sum snacks they sell at the store are delicious.
Bought 50g of this on one of my tea outings there with my mother, for the eyewatering price of S$47 (US$35) for 50g. For this price I would expect pretty top-notch Oriental Beauty.
At Yixing Xuan we tasted both this Bai Hao Oolong (the famous Taiwanese Oriental Beauty 东方美人) as well as their “house 东方美人 Beauty of the East” (which was half the price) and we both found the Bai Hao Oolong more complex and were impressed at how many rounds we were able to steep it.
I bought this in a tin and the tea inside was placed in an open plastic bag. After two years, it’s taken on an aged aroma like what I suppose I should be aiming for with my pu-erhs. I don’t normally rinse my oolongs, especially small-leaf ones that aren’t ball-form but this smells a bit too funky for me.
Brewed 5g in 150ml Chaozhou Hongni pot. Rinsed, then 90-92˚C for 30 sec.
- First infusion: A mouthwatering woody bitterness, mellow sweetness, and fruity tannins like apricot skins. There’s probably some floral in here too but I’m rubbish at identifying flowers. Long sweet (honeyed persimmon apricot pear) yet astringent, mildly medicinal aftertaste in the throat.
- Rating: 89
- Second infusion: 93˚C for 40 sec
Wet leaves smell like parsley / cucumber along with some fruit. Liquor I get a nose full of woody florals like a cherry blossom tree or rosewood furniture, red plum fruit, and faint herbs.
Woodiness is still pleasantly present but has mellowed out. Fruitiness and sweetness are fainter now but still a lovely full-bodied brew.
- Rating: 89
Verdict: it’s a pretty good Oriental Beauty, and I might consider repurchasing if I crave such an expensive tea again. Maybe I’d seal it up in ziplock next time because I don’t really want it aged (feels like I’m wasting the first rinse).
Flavors: Apricot, Bittersweet, Honey, Pear, Persimmon
