jLteaco (fongmongtea)

The leaves are dark green and tightly curled. They have a subtle smell of smoke. Steeped leaves uncurl but not to the fullest. Liquid is of intense amber colour. The smell is again subtly smoked with flowery hints. The taste is mild, there is not much bitterness. There is a light floral aftertaste and a little bit od astringency. This is a simple Oolong on the black tea side, but still pretty mild.

Made the last 3 grams of this western style with the below prep details.

I think overall I’m a fan of the shorter, multiple steeps. Green oolongs in general tend to be too vegetal for me to enjoy when I brew them longer. Maybe I’m brewing at incorrect water temperatures or too long. I think I need to play around with oolongs a lot more than I do.

I did enjoy this more the first time I brewed it at the shorter steeping times.

Another sample courtesy of Fong Mong Tea – thank you!

Steeped 150 ml of 190º water with 3 grams of oolong for an initial time of 3 minutes. This produced a nice mild oolong – not overly vegetal. It smells more vegetal than it tastes. The second steep (same amount of water with a 5º and 1 minute addition) is a bit stronger in vegetal flavor, but smells less so. The third steep I think I may have left the leaves in too long, because I’m not fond of the taste. There’s kind of a bitter taste in it.

I really like the first steep the best, but next time I’ll try the full 6 minute soak.

This sample courtesy of Fong Mong Tea – thank you!

Steeped 3 grams of leaves for 6 minutes at about 187º. This produced a lovely honey-gold colored liquid. I can smell the roasted veggies, and the taste reminds me of roasted asparagus. Delicious! There’s a slight coolness that fills my mouth after the roastiness subsides – fun!

Resteeped at 190º for another 6 minutes the roastiness is still here, but a tad less so now.

The third infusion is probably where I’ll draw the line. The taste is still there, but falling to the point where I won’t peruse it more.

Thanks again to Fong Mong Tea for sharing a sample of this tasty tea!

My first attempt at this may have fallen a tad short. I didn’t read the brewing instructions on Steepster before making my initial cup. Too little leaf and not brewed long enough!

The second cup with more leaf and less water and a longer brewing time (see preparation details below) turned out much better.

Upon opening the sample package from Fong Mong Tea, I notice how long the rolled leaves are – unusual compared to my other black teas. Almost a fruity smell wafts from the bag.

The brewed cup is a nice clear-reddish color. The liquid is earthy, with a slight sweetness. There’s a smoothness to this tea – no sign of bitterness.

This really does hit all the checkpoints that I’m looking for in a black tea! It’s delicious without additives (and that says a lot coming from someone who regularly defaults to throwing in a dash healthy dose of sugar and creamer)! Once I clear out my tea cabinet of the “other” morning tea, I’m putting in an order for this!

Thank you for the wonderful sample, Fong Mong Tea!

A month ago or so, Fong Mong Tea offered a free sample of this year’s pick of this tea on their Facebook page. It was a really pleasant surprise when I saw that I got three more samples so I spent that weekend (and the next one) in tasting them.

For you that don’t know about Fong Mong Tea, it’s a eBay seller of Taiwanese teas, ranging from 150 gr to 600 gr pack.

I borrowed a nice Canon DSLR for that weekend as I planned to spend that weekend in tea tasting and taking some nice pictures for a change (I usually use my phone camera for that. See my blog – link at the bottom).
I didn’t hesitate but emptied the whole sample bag (6 grams) in 3 Oz gaiwan, and poured 85-90C water over it. Prior to that I took a short glance at the dry leaf, it was big for an average Taiwanese rolled oolong, with some woody stalks attached to them. The initial aroma of the dry leaf is subtle fresh with grassy-herbaceous elements, and after blowing some hot air additional milky and buttery notes are revealed with a warm background.

After a short rinse I started with 45s steep, followed by 60s, 75s, 90s, 105s, 120s.
My current experience with Jin Xuan Oolongs is that they bear a nice milky element, and this one has a decent amount of it, not too much of it to be taken as ‘milky’ but not too little either. Flowery note is dominant in this cup, being present all the way as the liquor enters, slides and finishes, it even has a little bite at the tip of the tongue (pretty unusual for a flowery component). Finish is characterized with warm milky-buttery coat and some vegetable notes. The liquor has a bright jade green tone.

Following steeps show immediate decline of flowery element, leaving room for vegetable elements to take over, milky notes are still there but are better pronounced when liquor cools down a bit. Along the way there can be sensed a certain etheric component lingering in the background and getting more pronounced in the second half of the session.

Wet leaf is pretty much wholesome with a long stalk with up to four leaves attached, including some buds as well. Notes of old peas (dried, stored, then boiled) air of the olive green heap with a slight freshness wrapped around it.

The tightly coiled pellets give off a creamy, sweet milky oolong scent. There were sticks/extra dried stems present, seen previously in their Fruity Sijichun. I don’t care personally, but thought it was worth a mention.

The tea is light apple in color with a faintly sweet, smooth vegetal taste. It has a heavy mouthfeel for an Oolong. At 5 minutes it smells overcooked, but doesn’t taste it. Bonnie is SPOT ON with her White Asparagus note, that’s EXACTLY what this reminds me of. Subsequent steepings became sweeter and more floral. This seemed like excellent quality, but I’m not sure Alishan’s are for me.

Steeped for 6 minutes at 85 as suggested, but tastes a bit “overcooked”. Not astringent, or bitter, just overdone. Liquor is a light sunflower yellow. Has a strong oolong taste and smell, but also reminds me of a dragonwell – buttery, reminiscent of veggie broth and a titch earthy.

Definitely not what I was excepting at all. I don’t detect any floral or fruity notes. I was also surprised to see some twigs/sticks in the tea, which I haven’t encountered before – unsure if they’re supposed to be there or not, but would guess not.

In subsequent steepings I lowered the water temperature to 80, which I found much more favorable, but only got 3 steeps total out of the leaves.

Argh, Steepster ate my quite long tasting note! Maaaan. Sipdown, 181. Thanks to Fong Mong for the sample, and sorry it took me so long to get around to reviewing it. I decided to brew this one gong fu today, using the 6g vaccum sealed sample in my teapot.

I did a rinse first and then a 20 second steep. I normally would have a shorter first steep for gongfu, but even at 6g these leaves didn’t look like a lot in my tea pot so I decided to steep them a bit longer. It turned out well; the first steep smells floral and a bit buttery, and it tastes like buttery sugar snap peas. It definitely has a hint of vegetal sweetness.

For my second steep I actually decided to go ahead and go 1 minute because the first steep was fairly light as it was. I also just used the water in my teapot that had cooled to 190degF. This steep is more vegetal but it still has a floral quality and a sweet note here and there. This one isn’t particularly creamy but it does have a very smooth texture. Definitely an enjoyable tea for this afternoon.

I brewed this western style and easily got 9 full flavoured steeps!

The leaves are long and unfurl beautifully. Scent is sweet, floral and lightly starchy. When brewed it has a slight syrupy mouth feel with cocoa, honey, and floral notes. Can be slightly malty depending how long it’s steeped for (longer steep = more malt) which is a nice addition. This tea takes milk well, but is so beautiful by itself that I much prefer it without.

An absolutely fantastic Pouchong!

Dry, the leaves are medium-dark green and remind me of seaweed. The scent is somewhat nutty with a distant milk note.

While steeping the leaves smell faintly of green apples and the sea. The liquor is a light vivid green. Taste is light and lovely. Slightly fruity, a hint of green apples. When it cools, it becomes slightly floral. Subsequent steepings become more vegetal and nutty, while retaining a fruit aspect.

6 grams of dry leaf used for 370 ml of water

The brewed tea has an aroma that reminds me of sweet black licorice. Musty, leathery. Faint aromatic, pungent floral. Fruity apricot-type note. Hint of sawdust.

On the sip I’m detecting an astringency which is bordering on being overpowering (burt/dark chocolate note). The apricot and leathery notes are upfront in the flavour. Mild floral hints in the background. Mushroom-type note/mouth-feel. Licorice-like from the scent translates into the flavour. Maltiness close to the end of the sip.

As the tea is allowed to cool a slight creaminess comes out in the taste. Char note near the end of the sip.

Second infusion at 4.25 minutes. The flavour reminds me of roasted corn.

Wonderful salted rock mineral flavor! Toast-y darker roast.
Full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 14th.

A review of Taiwan Gaba Tea by Fong Mong Tea Corp

Company: Fong Mong Tea Corp
Tea Name: Taiwan Gaba Tea
Tea Type/Varietal:
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: red
Leaf Characteristics:

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 190 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I am finishing this GABA Tea sent to me by Fong Mong Tea Corp. I had this tea again just prior to going to sleep. Well a good few hours prior to retiring. I will continue to insist that taste wise this is an exceptional tea that is very refreshing. I can drink this tea all day long since it seems to be so very light…weightless/airless might be more descriptive.

Thank you, Fong Mong Tea Corp, for sending to me such a wonderful tea. It has been quite an experience and I continue to not understand the tea’s full benefit; I can only say that is an excellent tea.

A review of Taiwan Gaba Tea by Fong Mong Tea

Company: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Name: Taiwan Gaba Tea
Tea Type/Varietal:
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup / loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: reddish brown
Leaf Characteristics: the leaves look like fine twigs that have been crystallized. And when steeped they are fuller and brownish red in color and don’t seem to have an aroma.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I have not had this tea in a long while and last evening decided to fix me a cup since it was suggested that I try this prior to retiring for the evening. I took one teaspoon of the leaves and put this in my cup and adding cold water I put in microwave for two minutes and leave it to steep for a few minutes more.

The tea’s aroma is mild roast with a slight smoky scent; it is all very faint and that to me is the delight that is to be found with this tea since all is very mild…like a hint of but nothing in particular. However the tea’s color is a lovely reddish brown color; like the color of prune juice with no pulp and when sipping tea it is wonderful taste of malt and is very yummy, well in my humble opinion.

I really don’t know how else to say how luscious this tea is. I can drink it all day long. I did sleep nicely for few hours once I finally was able to fall asleep; and this morning I awoke to continue to have more of this tea and I am finishing it this evening with the hopes for a better night sleep.

In all this tea is exquisite and is a favorite of mine. Thank you Fong Mong Tea for sending me a full package of this tea to enjoy. I will miss not having it around. It is exceptionally good tea.

A review of Taiwan GABA Tea by Fong Mong Tea Corp.

Company: Fong Mong
Tea Name: Taiwan GABA Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: loose leaf
Region: Taiwan
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ teaspoon
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: reddish brown amber
Leaf Characteristics: leaves look more like twig and finely curled leaves and are crunchy. When steeped the leaves are full and a brownish with hints of red; auburn in coloring.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 190 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I take a heaping spoonful of the tea leaves and put them in my cup and add the boiled water to my cup; covering it for a five minutes steep time. When time is over, I remove the cover and scoop out the tea leaves. Tea is a lovely reddish brown color; glowing like in my cup and tea’s aroma is somewhat malt like with a roast/woodsy finishing.

2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I have enjoyed having this Gaba tea and want more of it; so yes another cup; using the same leaves and steeping with hotter water for five minutes. I sip the tea while the leaves remain in the bottom of my cup. Tea is slightly smoky and roast like flavoring. I am enjoying this tea as there seems to be no way to have a bad cup of this tea. It is simply good tea.

I like the teas color that reddish brown which I had not notice before; and how light this tea is on the palette. Overall, this is grade A+ tea.

A review of Taiwan Gaba Tea by Fong Mong Tea

Date: 11/15/2012
Company: Fong Mong
Tea Name: Taiwan Gaba Tea
Tea Type/Varietal:
Region: Taiwan
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color:
Leaf Characteristics:

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 180 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I am enjoying another great cup of this tea. I simply cannot find words for describing this tea. It is smooth with a complex texture; tea’s color is of malt and coffee like. There is not hint of one aroma or another that can describe what this tea smells like. It is not bitter, not astringent, and not fruity. It has a dry smell and not unlike water since water is clear with not a smell. Similarly is this tea with regard to odor.

The tea is dry on my palette and not heavy and when I take a sip, I simply want to sip continually without stopping, it is that good.

A review of Taiwan Gaba Tea by Fong Mong Tea Corp.

Date: 11/01/2012
Company: Fong Mong Tea Corp.
Tea Name: Taiwan Gaba Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: Green
Region: Taiwan China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup / loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: dark amber
Leaf Characteristics: darkish brown thin leaves

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 180 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

Note: I took one heaping teaspoon of the tea leaves and add to my mug and pour hot water over the leaves and left to steep for five minutes. After which, I removed the tea leaves from my mug and take a sip of this tea finally, since I had this tea for quite sometime and had yet to try and I chose to have this tea last evening prior to retiring for bed. I was hoping for a good nice of rest.

The tea has a lovely aroma in that it smells like cacao leaves, sweet even and when tasted it is smooth and creamy. I have not tasted anything like it. It is really striking. This is very good tea and I have no word to really describe it. Or perhaps I don’t know how to describe.

I was able to have two cups of this tea prior to retiring for the night (last evening). I waited to fall asleep but unfortunately sleep never came. I am somewhat disappointed since I thought this was a tea for sleeping/better sleep. I will continue to try it nightly and see if there is change/different result.

I enjoyed both the aroma and taste of this tea and I can see myself purchasing it because it is an aid to reducing stress and anxiety, and helps with weight loss. I would try this tea again and again only because it taste so very naturally sweet…cacao nibs like.

Another lovely Oolong from Fong Mong Tea … I’m sorry it took me so long to get around to trying it … I didn’t forget about you, I promise!

The first few sips, I noticed a slight charcoal-y kind of taste, but after those initial sips, this charred wood taste seemed to make way for a mineral-y kind of taste and texture that would start just after mid-sip, and last through the end of the sip … the sip would end with this sort of mineral-y mouthfeel that was a very interesting sensation. Interesting, but enjoyable!

There are hints of floral tones as well as a nutty flavor to this tea, but everything is softened by the creaminess of this tea. It’s not really ‘creamy’ or ‘milky’ or even ‘buttery’ to the taste, but at the beginning of the sip, it feels very soft and silky and even creamy, and this texture seems to soften those flavors.

A really excellent Oolong experience – courtesy of Fong Mong Tea!

I gave the rest of this sample to my mom quite a while ago (my first note was from 7 years ago!), but it remained unfinished, so I made a cup for her while visiting, and nabbed at least one of the later infusions. It was so delicious; I miss pouchong so much. Such delicious “oolong flavour” and creaminess, and not too much floral-ness. Yes, my descriptors are stellar, I know. Describing things is not my strong suit. It was delicious.

Thanks to Fong Mong for this generous sample, and my apologies for taking so long to get to reviewing it! I haven’t ever tried a straight pouchong, only in a couple blends (primarily Golden Moon’s Coconut Pouchong). So my expectations are for a tasty green oolong, and that’s about it.

I used half the packet for this cup, and less than boiling water, although I’m not sure of the exact temperature. The tea produces a fragrant cup with a characteristic oolong aroma with a hint of floral.

This tea, like the others from Fong Mong, is absolutely delicious. A sweet, lightly vegetal oolong with a lingering floral, perhaps lilac?, aftertaste. And plenty of “oolong” flavour. I’m not sure if there’s anything here that would allow me to differentiate between pouchong and other green oolongs, as the flavour reminds me of the Fruity Sijichun Oolong from Fong Mong, but I really don’t care, as it’s quite tasty! It’s definitely fruitier/more floral than the base used for the Coconut Pouchong I’ve had, but I don’t think this tea would work quite as well in such a blend (or perhaps it would? Sweet coconut?)

Either way, this was delicious, and hopefully it gives me a bit of a caffeine kick to get through the remaining… 65 samples I have yet to weight out tonight (in triplicate… yeah…) Thanks Fong Mong!

Trying another gongfu session this afternoon. This is 6g (exact measurement) of tea for my 6oz pot. This tea was a sample provided by Fong Mong for review (that I’ve been bad about getting around to tasting), so thanks!

Perhaps it is just the power of suggestion from the name but the dry leaf on this tea does smell fruity to me. This time I steeped this oolong at slightly under the boil, for 45 seconds as recommended by Fong Mong, after a rinse. The tea smells very floral and a bit fruity, with a bit of vegetables underneath, but not leafy vegetables like I often get with oolongs. More cooked zucchini or something. The flavor is mild at first sip but it quickly blossoms in the mouth, sweet and candy-ish. Still with a bit of those vegetables, as if it was candied zucchini (which I saw some chefs do on Chopped recently, so maybe that’s where I’m getting the idea from). I like it, it’s pretty different from most other oolongs I’ve tried.

Second steep is, once again for me, kind of lackluster. I steeped it an additional 15 seconds as instructed by Fong Mong, but it has now lost much of the sweetness and more of those leafy vegetal notes are coming out. I don’t blame the tea because, as I’ve said, this is a problem that has plagued me for a while. I tried to do an extra long steep, almost western style, but it’s always as if I steep out all the good flavors early on.

I am rating this one based on the first steep, which was very tasty and unique.