Shui Jin Gui Wuyi Oolong

I was so excited when I got home and saw my first ever mail order of teas had arrived. I had to brew one of the teas right away! I chose this one and even though I brewed it as a mix between western style with the proper gong fu style the tea is wonderful! I used “more” leaves than i usually use per cup and brewed for 1 to 2 mins and got a nice smokey nutty slightly sweet first brew. The second infusion I actually forgot about so it was infusing for at least 10 mins and this was more like a greener oolong with more floral/orchid note.

This is my first Wuyi oolong, and my first tasting note. I couldn’t have picked a better place to start than with this tea. The smell of carmel and roasted nuts was my first impression. The taste is warm and smooth with a nice balance of sweet and savory. Since I am used to more floral oolongs, this opened the door to the complexity I was looking for.

One of the “Meet the Farmer” teas at Verdent in their $5 for 5 (5g) tea special. This is a lovely little Wuyi, I brewed it in a 100ml pot, but probably would go bigger next time. Seemed to like short steeps which helps keep the astringency at bay, but more sensitive to temp than I’d expect. If you nail it, it delivers, but if not, it’s solid.

Gone gaiwan. 5g sample, 100mL, 212F, 10s rinse followed by 10 steeps.

Spring 2017. Dry leaf smelled of roast, honey crystals and cocoa. Warmed leaf became brown toast, coffee and honey. A 10s rinse brought out a whiff of orchid with an undertone of orange. The tea started off very fragrant, thick, oily and strong in the mouth with tastes of roast, wood, orchid, vanilla, honey crystals, cocoa, unplaced spice and savoriness in an alkaline mineral way. Verdant claims this to be a very fruity tea with a note of juicy orange. The orange seemed more like an impression, a bright base note with some sourness that carried through all the way to the end. By the fourth steep the flavors really mellowed out, leaving a smooth brew that was still bright in the mouth with some fleeting maple and caramel, and butter and popcorn showing up on the finish. Reminded me of the Jelly Belly buttered popcorn jelly beans though obviously not as in-your-face.

The roast is still strong at the time of this review, so the tea would benefit from longer resting. After the initial delivery of all that sweet orchid, the tea mellowed out nicely. The liquor had a great fragrance, mouthfeel, minerality and level of astringency but there were points mid-session where I felt something was lacking. It’s a good tea but the price doesn’t justify a larger purchase.

I didn’t get enough steeps. I used an 8 oz gaiwan (first mistake). I only had 4.5 g left from my 5 teas for $5 order. I did 6 sec for initial steep then additional 6 sec each infusion. It went bland around the 4th infusion. It probably would have lasted longer if I used my 70ml gaiwan. Live and learn. The wet leaves weren’t as aromatic as the liquor. It smelled like brown sugar. It had cream finish.

The baby is napping so it’s time to enjoy some Verdant Tea! This is another sample I’ve had in my cupboard for way too long. Well, today is the day, you lucky tea you! I checked Verdant’s website and I think this may be another discontinued tea. There are a couple with similar names, namely Shui Jin Gui Light Roast and Special Grade Shui Jin Gui. I know this isn’t the Special Grade because I also have that in my cupboard. Maybe it’s the Light Roast or a harvest or two prior to that? It’s okay either way because these dark rock oolongs aren’t always my favorite. Nonetheless, I’m excited to try it!

With my gaiwan and variable temperature kettle at the ready, I opted for 200°F water. The dry leaf aroma is mineral-y and familiar. The brewed tea flavor is rocky and a bit floral. I’m sure the tea would be more flavorful if I had enjoyed it sooner. I’m afraid the nuances have been lost, but I am still enjoying it now. These leaves have a surprising number of infusions left in them. I lost count as I sipped this tea for about an hour. A lovely way to spend an afternoon.

This is a medium-dark oolong, with strong mineral notes. I got honey and some roasty notes. I don’t love oolongs, as a general rule, but this one was quite nice for what it is.

Yeah…I don’t know why everyone tastes more than roastiness but me. D:
I expected it…but at the same time I hoped a little bit for something more! :(
Oh well.
Thanks for the sample, SecretSorceress!

This is my first time in quite a while using a gaiwan so we’ll see how this goes!

First steep, 15 seconds: Everyone else seems to get sweet caramel flavors, but I’m getting light vegetal flavors with a bit of a sour note at the end. The steeped leaves smell like rice to me

Second steep, 20 seconds: This one was about the same as the 15 second steep, I didn’t notice a huge difference.

Third steep, 30 seconds: This one is less vegetal and more creamy

Fourth steep, 45 seconds: I didn’t get much flavor out of this one so I’m going to really up the time on the next one, and it will probably be my last of this for today. The steeped leaves smell almost like paper towels, weird.

Fifth steep, 90 seconds: Still not much going on here. Oh well

I had a small sample of this tea, 4g, and I’m really not sure whom I got it from as all my samples were mixed together. Sorry!!!

Anyway, this tea is really good.

First sip, I immediately thought honey. Then it got a little fruity. It’s pretty sweet. A little orchid. Lots of honey goodness. And it keeps on giving.

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