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Meh. A greener style oolong. It is lighter in the mouthfeel, and has a lingering bitter finish. Not as flavorful as the aroma suggests. Really not my favorite so far from the samples.

This one has a zingy gingery lemon zest quality, especially on the finish. The straw colored liquor has a touch of green to it. Aroma of sweet nectar, floral qualities, but decidedly graham-crackery sweet smelling. On the palate it has some astringency, not as smooth as the other samples…the acidity is also coming through much more…the green grassy notes as well, almost like sorrel. Also an almondy nutty note. Not quite what I’m looking for with a green oolong, but the acidity is fascinating. The differences between the samples is amazing.

Beautiful fruity high mountain oolong. First steeping gave almost-soapy floral notes, I got hints of peach blossoms and just a touch of citrus leaves. Not as aromatically stunning as the Wu Ling Oolong from Tea from Taiwan, but quite enjoyable nonetheless. The unfurled leaves are very pretty and quite large. The brew is straw colored—darker than the Wu Ling. Three subsequent brewings reveal notes of granny smith apple, honey, and toasted marcona almond. The initial aroma of peach blossoms remains and manifests itself on the palate as well.

My first sample I tried from Hou De was of this Xi-Zhi-Hao. I liked it, but it was not very complex. Just tasted like young light Pu-erh. I tried better pu-erh for much less than 125 dollars per cake.

Sampled this sheng from Hou De, very nice large leaves…from what I’ve read, the larger fatter leaves and juicier thick stems suggest an antique plantation which has been partially recaptured by nature. Initial aroma of dried leaves are somewhat fruity and musty. After a quick rinse, the leaves smelled almost like smoked fish, I was a bit worried by this. But the smokiness dissipated with the first infusion—sweet hay, peach, hazelnut skin. Very smooth and getting good and relaxed off of this one. The second infusion was more of the same. Leaves starting to unfurl more and more. Lots of thick stems and twigs. Very few broken bits. Aroma from the steeped leaves is somewhat horsey and gamey. But tea liquor is beautifully complex and haunting, very smooth and silky. I brewed it 8 or 9 times gong fu style over the course of two days. Could have pushed it 5 more times, probably.

Just got my sample packs from Tea From Taiwan. This is the first of the samples I brewed and was very pleased. The dried pellets smell so floral, like a combination of lilac, rose, and jasmine with a hint of vanilla bean and butter. Brewed it western style in a glass tea pot with a glass strainer. Just below boiling water brewed for 2 minutes after an initial rinse. Color is straw-yellow with a hint of green. Aroma is intoxicatingly floral and rich with a hint of butterscotch. Nice sweetness on the palate, thick and heavier than expected. Hints of baked goods, almost bready, buttery-smooth and back end caramel action. The floral aroma really dominates here from beginning to end. A beautiful product.

A great every day oolong. Smoky, rich, nutty, but doesn’t have those unique and rare attribute of teagschendner’s other higher-end oolong offerings. This is what I usually expect from a darker-oxidized oolong.

Smooth and buttery, water chestnuts and mild squash. This is a lovely dragonwell for the price.

More feminine than the taifu, this tea is softer, revealing dried apricots, woodshop, and wet river stones. Second infusion was decidedly more complex and the aromas were more prominant, even a hint of marzipan started to emerge. A beautiful bai hao.

A robust oolong. First infusion was definitely best with aromas of stewed plum and sweet honey dominating. Beyond these aromas, underneath lies a woodsy and floral quality. Second infusion was much less robust and rich—more floral qualities, and less of that stewed fruit and honey. And the third infusion is not even worth attempting. Overall a great robust oolong.