Wuyi Rock Tea, (Wuyi Wulong)

I’ve been on a little tea hiatus as of late. Well, kinda sort of. I’ve been super busy with my new craft projects and of course my regular 9 to 5. More like 7:30-4:30, but I digress. This morning I needed a hot cup of goodness to wrap my sore hands around. I’ve recently been working on a really big stained glass project, and my hands are worn out. The little cuts are one thing, but the amount of pressure you have to put on your fingertips is currently what’s getting to me.

Anyway, on to the tea. It’s nothing flashy, but I’m ok with that. The roasted flavor is mild and pleasing. I’m picking up earthy and mineral-y qualities. I also taste a little note of wood over the earthiness. It’s nothing at all like the woody taste of rooibos, but more of a “leaves and bark” taste. :) There is a slight puckering of astringency, but overall very simple and balanced. Nothing too complex or in your face, just a basic oolong. I’ll be re-steeping a few times and hopefully finishing up this sample. Easy does it.

The holiday madness will soon begin.

Earthy and a tad smoky to the nose. Semi sweet and a little earthy yet a little smoky to taste. Avery different but fairly good.

Tea #22 from Traveling Tea Box C

The dry leaf smelled less like smoke and more like fish-something, so that was a little off-putting. I have some seafood/shellfish anaphylaxis stuff going on, though, so I’m a bit hyper-sensitive to anything that is remotely fishy.

Nothing terribly complex in the cup, though. It has an earthy quality, like freshly turned soil, and a bit of stone mineral-ness going on. It’d definitely a ‘cool’ feeling oolong, despite the notes of smoke. There’s a nice sweetness to the sip, too.

Definitely not an outstanding oolong, but enjoyable nonetheless.

A very nice Oolong – it tastes roasted with notes of earth and a slight smokiness in the background. It has a nice sweetness to it. Smooth and well-rounded. Not the most spectacular Oolong in the world but I’m enjoying it.

Tea #4 from the traveling tea box.

I generally drink much more complex oolongs and so I found this a little plain for my tastes. It is slightly sweet with a subtle smokiness that I noticed at the end of each sip. Not bad, but not one I would order for myself.

1.9 gms tea, 5 oz water: 1st steep (1 min): Rich and powerful yet smooth and complex. Nose, taste, and finish all good. 2nd steep (1.5 min) was weaker but still nice.