Thank you, Derk, for this sample. :D It gave me an opportunity to compare it with the other two What-Cha GABA Oolongs. I really wanted to do this! Already great reviews on this so I’ll add a little, then move on to other thoughts.
So this is the same as their Taiwan GABA oolong but with an added: “medium roast to bring out the sweetness in the tea”. It did indeed seem sweeter than the zero roasted one. It also had a nice light roasted flavor, not overwhelming nor overshadowing the fruit and vanilla notes. It had a clean finish, distinct notes of apple and pear. In the later infusions, it became slightly more minerally, less roasted flavor, and got a few spice notes in addition to the fruit. Overall, it was an excellent GABA oolong.
I had a lot of fun trying to compare the three. I’ve come to the conclusion that I still prefer the Vietnam GABA High Mountain Oolong. Mainly because the cultivar is Jin Xuan versus Si Ji Chun. The Vietnam GABA had milky feel vs a clean feel, it had a longer finish vs a clean finish. I also like the baked bread, buttery, black tea-ish notes in the Vietnam GABA. To me, there was a larger spectrum of fruit notes and was a little richer too.
So there you have it. All were excellent. Thank you again, Derk!
5g, 205°F, 110ml, rinse, 11 steeps: 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, 30s, 35s, 45s, 55s, 65s, 75s, 120s
Flavors: Apple, Burnt Sugar, Floral, Fruity, Nutmeg, Pear, Smooth, Spices, Sweet, Vanilla
