Gui Fei Oolong

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Apple, Candy, Floral, Honey, Orchids, Dark Bittersweet, Red Apple, Roasted, Citrus Zest, Nectar, Nuts, Sweet, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cacao, Caramel, Cream, Dark Chocolate, Ginger, Flowers, Apple Skins, Toasty
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Tea Pet
Average preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 4 min, 30 sec 6 g 9 oz / 269 ml

From Our Community

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36 Want it Want it

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29 Own it Own it

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75 Tasting Notes View all

  • “Accidently brewed this one for over 8 minutes, my bad! However, it doesn’t seem to have suffered! It’s just a toasty oolong, with… wow, a super sweet flavour that reminds me strongly of an ice wine...” Read full tasting note
    98
  • “i needed a break from flavoured teas so i pulled out a couple of oolongs that i’d ordered (willingly) from Stacy. This is the first one. Although it’s a darker oolong it has taste that i...” Read full tasting note
    76
  • “Good Lord! I am kicking myself for not trying this before now! SERIOUSLY! This oolong is out of this world! I am on steep three and I am sure I could get at least two more if not more than...” Read full tasting note
    100
  • “2 tsp / 16 oz Really enjoying this today. I swear so many things must impact the way one tastes tea, because every time I drink this, it’s different. Today, I’m enjoying the lightness and very...” Read full tasting note
    85

From Butiki Teas

Our Gui Fei Oolong was sourced from Lugu Township in Nantou County, Taiwan and is a particularly unique tea. Green leafhoppers are allowed to bite the tea leaves which causes the leaves to begin the healing process which creates the honey notes in this tea and also begins the oxidation process. This tea utilized traditional Dong Ding processing techniques. Gui Fei Oolong has a natural sweetness to it and produces no astringency. Notes of honey, lightly burned toast, raw almonds and apples can be detected.

Ingredients: Taiwanese Oolong Tea

Recommended Brew Time: 4 minutes
Recommended Amount: 1 teaspoons of tea for 8oz of water
Recommended Temperature: 180 F

For more information, please visit: http://www.butikiteas.com

About Butiki Teas View company

Company description not available.

75 Tasting Notes

96
166 tasting notes

Wow, I’m sipping this thinking how unique it is compared to any other oolong I’ve had. Then I went back to Stacy’s comments on the Butiki website and saw that Gui Fei, otherwise known as Honey Oolong, is one of those Taiwanese leaf-hopper teas, just like the Mi Xian black that I like so much. I find it amazing that in nature, an insect nibbling a tea leaf can have such major effects on the flavor and aroma of a tea. Wow. And to think that an earthquake in 1999, causing neglect of tea farms and lack of pesticides and fertilizers, resulted in some great tea discoveries. I got 3 steeps brewed according to package instructions. The fragrance is very appealing, but I’m not sure how to describe it. An incredibly smooth cup with complex honey sweet flavor. Nantou County, Taiwan, is producing some mighty fine tea!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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90
1271 tasting notes

Woot, I won first place in the Butiki unflavored tea giveaway! Drinking my winnings away now starting with Gui Fei Oolong!
I’m sipping tea, listening to the new Devin Townsend Epicloud album and working on the knitted shawl of dooom! 12 rows left (that are 300+ stitches long with beading)! Nice and relaxing!

DRY: Kinda floral, sweet, and fruity.

STEEPED: Oolongy nutty woody and lots of other smells. Pretty complex.
I did the recommended 4 minute steep for my first steeping.

TASTE: I can pick out a great nuttyness, subtly sweet honey and a roasty taste almost. The honey note sits on my tongue, yum! No astringency or bitterness.

Second steep I did for 8 minutes at 175f, and it was much sweeter and fruity! Amazing! A slight slight astringency is starting to peek out, but no bitterness still. I could drink this steeping all day! Next time I’ll do the first steeping at 8 minutes.

COMMENTS: mmmm very tasty! I chose this tea because Kittena did a long steep saying it tasted like ice wine. MMm ice wine! Reading the description of this tea… “green leafhoppers are allowed to bite the tea leaves..” OMG bugs ate this tea?? I wonder how they rigged it so the bugs didn’t eat all the tea? I know if my bunny ate part of anything he’d leave broccoli and fur notes instead of honey notes!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Haha, I was going to ask whether you tasted the ice wine notes or not, but as you used the recommended infusion, it doesn’t surprise me that you couldn’t. As a side note, I also overleafed my cup a little, I think. I need to try it again, myself! Perhaps later tonight. Delicious.

Oolong Owl

Close for the second infusion but it wasn’t sweet enough. I can see if for it happening for the first infusion at the long steep time.

Kittenna

Tried this again tonight, and was again successful – posted my tasting note just now. Hopefully you like it as much as I do! It’s probably my favourite oolong right now!

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93
417 tasting notes

Yum. This tea tastes like sweet, juicy apples, but without the bite I am used to experiencing with this flavor. I was more in the mood for a darker oolong tonight (why I thought this would fit the bill, I don’t know) but this was a really enjoyable tea!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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1429 tasting notes

I don’t know how to begin describing the smell of the liquor. It’s kind of floral and fruity, like dried cranberries or apples, but it also has a savoury, bready component to it. It kind of reminds me of a fruity turkey stuffing, a cobbler, or a loaf.

The cup is smooth and juicy, with a distinct honey finish and lingering taste. I thought of apple strudel, mulled wine, and jam with buttered toast as I sipped through the first steep.

Edit: second steep is even fruitier than the first. I allowed my cup to become cool, and the flavour is a lot like ice wine!

There are notes present here that I would find overwhelming if they were left to dominate, but they pleasantly weaved in and out as drank this tea. The heady, buttery-floral notes blend in with the honey tinged fruitiness to create something that is very different from what I’m used to drinking.

A few characteristics I appreciate in green oolong are present here, but with a sweet twist. I’m glad I requested this as a sample and hopefully I get the chance to pick up more before the New Year.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Fjellrev

Nice! I think this was the one I originally wanted in our order but got axed. I asked for a sample too though and your review makes me itchy to try it. :)

Crowkettle

I do regret not going for a bigger portion and splitting it with you, but at least I know now for future decisions. :)

Chelle

I have been eyeing this one each time I visit Butiki’s site. Your description has definitely made this a must with my next order.

Crowkettle

Chelle, if you’re a fan of Mi Xian Black and oolong this tea is fantastic. :)

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86
652 tasting notes

Whoa!! What is this delicious devil juice?

ETA

I know I should qualify this tasting note, and have been thinking about it, but the thing is I’m not entirely sure what to say, specifically.

When I was drinking it, I was trying really hard to notice all the flavors that supposedly come out to say hello, but as per usual my tastes are just not that refined.

So you might be wondering why I liked it so much. Reason is, it is a straight up tea, but it tastes like a flavored tea. Even though I cannot discern what the flavors are, exactly. I’ve tried a few of those along the way, so my basis for comparison is limited. It reminded me of a more subtle and less roasty version of Laoshan Black, which I realize isn’t the same type of tea at all, but that’s also a straight tea that magically has a bunch of flavour.

It’s sweet and multifaceted and would be a great tea to start the day with.

I would totally order this, so it’s going on my Butiki wishlist.
Steepster, you may just make a refined tea drinker out of me yet!

Thank you to the awesome Sil for sending me this to try. Win!

Sil

So glad you enjoyed this one :)

TeaLady441

Haha. I would have laughed more if you’d just left it at the first line. :P

TeaLady441

Also, I’m happy you didn’t because that oolong does sound pretty awesome. I might have to try it!

TheTeaFairy

Love when that happens! Some teas are and feel special regardless if you’re a «refined» tea drinker or not:-) I remember when I started drinking wine, I felt intimidated and unsure about what I was supposed to taste an identify. Then an expert told me that no matter how sophisticated it might be, what really makes it a good wine is if you like it or not… I think this applies for tea as well :-)

ohfancythat

I had left it at the first line since Friday but thought people might want to know a bit more ;)

It is really good! Very unique :)

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83
41 tasting notes

Can’t type, sniffing.
Can’t type, sipping.
Can’t type, sniffing again.

Edit: I just realized that SOMEONE filled my kettle today with bleachy-tasting tap water. Wow. I am gonna LOVE this tea once I get that cleaned better.

RE-edit: Yup. This was awesome. Drank it like a week ago though. Everything I had hoped and a little more. I really should have taken notes.

mrmopar

Hope you feel better soon.

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812 tasting notes

lightly burnt and honey notes! i get it i get it!
i love this oolong. love love love. it’s not super greeney. it has a darkness to it that really appeals to me.
this is gonna be a good weekend i can tell.
thank you so much for choosing this one to send me Sil!

Sil

Glad you liked this one:)

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99
300 tasting notes

Tea of three days ago (actually three and two days ago). I haven’t been posting as much as I would like, been occupied with re-reading the Silmarillion while pinning art from it on Pinterest, because if it’s not Steepster it’s Pinterest. I just got a Verdant order yesterday so there should be more notes here, but I wanted to get around to some of the straight Butiki oolongs I had been so excited to order almost two months ago, but hadn’t gotten around to.

This tea smells sooo amazing, I knew I would love it the moment the vapors reached my nostrils. I’ve had one or two similar smelling teas before a very roasted Tung Ting and Rou Gei, so this felt familiar and at the same time very unique. I brewed it gongfu style and it was perfect for me, but will be sure to try the recommended western brewing parameters. I had a big migraine yesterday and between that and not taking notes this log will have to be brief for now. I remember it being sweet and roasty, woodsy and a tad fruity as well as spicey, but a very sweet spice like cloves, star anise, cinnamon and almonds but with none of those notes dominating. I steeped it for a day and half and the leaves just kept on giving! This should definitely be a staple in my cupboard.

Donna A

I love Gui Fei-it may be my favorite oolong. This tea, and a few other Butiki offerings are leafhopper teas. The insects eat at the edges of the leaves and affect the flavor in a very nice way.

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79
1792 tasting notes

Last sample from Stacy. Thaaaanks, Stacy! My brain is still simultaneously numb and headache-y from this ultra bizarre virus and quite frankly, I just want to sleep.

I swear the dry leaf has a light marijuana scent to it. Seriously.

The first infusion was loaded with flavour. Very toasty, to the point of being burnt. Now, I like roasty teas, but this may be a bit too much for me. I get a dot of honey but no apples like what the description says.

The second infusion wasn’t as honeyish and instead emphasized the nuttiness. But the burnt toast is still the prominent note for me. Super prominent.

I stopped there, at least for now, because I want something cold now.

Great oolong but I’m still madly craving Oriental Beauty. I NEED it in my life.

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95
1184 tasting notes

Mmmm, roasty! This oolong definitely has natural notes and honey and fruitiness. I am not sure if I would have picked out an “apple” note, but it is fruity anyway. There is also a nuttiness in the roasty notes of this wonderful oolong.
It was snowing pretty heavily when I was enjoying this cuppa. So, I have no problem staying in with my baby and having a snow day! Brrr

Resteep at 4 minutes was just as delicious!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Terri HarpLady

We got a few inches in the evening of New Year’s day, which is lingering. Rumor has it that we might get more this weekend! I love watching snow fall, especially if I can sit in my sunroom in my PJs, slurping tea & watching. It’s so beautiful!

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