Thailand 'Jin Xuan' Sticky Rice Oolong Tea

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea Leaves
Flavors
Butter, Grass, Hay, Popcorn, Spinach, Sticky Rice, Vegetal, Green Pepper, Kettle Corn, Pastries, Pumpkin Seed, Rice, Roasty, Savory, Sugar, Sweet, Warm Grass, Toast, Mineral, Vanilla, Bread, Green, Nutty, Seaweed, Umami, Herbs, Smooth, Vegetables, Cream, Milk, Cucumber, Sugarcane, Sweet, Toasted Rice, Apricot, Custard, Floral, Honeysuckle, Nuts, Rice Pudding, Roasted Nuts, Stonefruit, Thick, Toasted, Toasty, Drying, Milky, Tangy
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by eastkyteaguy
Average preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 45 sec 5 g 8 oz / 241 ml

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42 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I am not much into green tea, and this oolong is very vegetal – even if cold-steeped, still tastes like spinach. However, sticky rice notes are very nice. Is ok with honey.” Read full tasting note
    69
  • “Beerandbeancurd generously sent me this tea! Thank you! I have had quite a few sticky rice puerh teas but I don’t think I have ever had a sticky rice oolong. Today’s lunch was a big bowl of...” Read full tasting note
  • “Alistair included a sample of this with my first order from What-Cha. I steeped that sample in a traditional brewer, and was absolutely delighted with the taste of a sweet popcorn ball, dancing...” Read full tasting note
    96
  • “This tea is for those who love the taste of sweet rice, which I happen to be. I’ve had this tea maybe three or four times, but this time I got hit with a wave of vanilla into just wonderfully...” Read full tasting note
    91

From What-Cha

Has a creamy texture and sticky rice aroma, imparted unto the tea during processing by heating the sticky rice plant’s leaves along with the tea leaves.

Sticky rice scented tea is a speciality of northern Thailand, although traditionally green tea is used, Jin Xuan Oolong produces just as good if not better results.

Produced in Northern Thailand in what was once the hub of the ‘Golden Triangle’, the farmers in 1994 turned their back on opium production and switched to tea, importing a range of tea plants from Taiwan’s famed tea producing region Alishan.

Scent: Nuo Mi Xiang Nen Ye (sweet fragrance rice tender leaves) AKA sticky rice

Origin: Choke Chamroen Tea Estate, Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Altitude: 1,350m
Organic: Tea certified organic by OneCert but not the herb used to scent
Sourced: Direct from Choke Chamroen Tea

Cultivar: TTES #12 Jin Xuan
Oxidisation: 20%
Roast: Light
Picking: Hand

Tasting Notes:
- Smooth texture
- Brilliant sticky rice aroma with a creamy taste

Brewing Advice:
- Heat water to roughly 85°C/185°F
- Use 1 teaspoon per cup/small teapot
- Brew for 2 minute

About What-Cha View company

Company description not available.

42 Tasting Notes

96
52 tasting notes

This smells divine. Seriously, I couldn’t help but plant my nose in the bag and take a few long drags before getting around to the brewing.

I think I might’ve accidentally brewed it a bit under 185, but the result was still delicious. Strange, but delicious. My first impression was that it still smelled amazing – rice and that light sweet note – but the flavor was all broccoli. As it cooled it cycled through spinach, wet popcorn and settled at something resembling rice once it was close to room temp.

It’s a fascinating oolong and I can’t wait to toss a few leaves in the bottom and have a go at grandpa-ing it while I pack for my next trip.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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86
70 tasting notes

Wow, I didn’t expect this to taste like the real stuff. Freshly cooked rice fluffed with a knob of butter, and those crunchy pieces that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Om nom nom nom…
The tea leaves are olive green but I could also spot the odd blanched-spinach-green leaf in there, which I guess is safe to assume is the Nuo Mi Xiang herb. Not sure if it’s a rogue leaf or if it’s supposed to be there.
The color of the liquor is pale gold with slight green hints – in-between a sauvignon blanc and semillon.
Back to the taste, in addition to the sticky rice and going in the same direction there’s notes of popcorn. Balancing all this toasty, crunchy goodness is some refreshing greenness that reminds me of stinging nettles tea. This completes the savoury profile and goes well with the buttery notes too.
It’s a unique tea and an interesting experience indeed. I can see myself going back to it once in a while.

Flavors: Butter, Green, Popcorn, Rice, Toasted Rice

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 45 sec 6 g 6 OZ / 190 ML

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87
35 tasting notes

I can’t believe I haven’t already reviewed this! I’ve bought it about three times. It’s a great flavoured or flavour-imparted tea. Slightly sweet, satisfying, rounded. Changes each steeping.

Flavors: Butter, Popcorn, Rice Pudding, Toasted Rice

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 7 OZ / 200 ML

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100
379 tasting notes

Just adding to my original review that I drink this often and put in another order for it. I finally got the banana and vanilla notes. Yay. It is quite complex, and definitely not all about just the sticky rice.

I need to learn how to focus, focus, focus.
>.<

It’s so yummy on this cold afternoon.

Porcelain gaiwan, 6g, 195-200˚ F, 8 steeps: rinse, 25s, 35s, 45s, 55s, 65s, 75s, 85s, 95s

Flavors: Butter, Popcorn, Rice, Toasted Rice, Vanilla

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 6 g 4 OZ / 110 ML
derk

Do ya thang.
Drink yo tea.
All things blurry will come to be.

:P

derk

Or you can throw you sticky rice oolong tasting notes at the wall and see what sticks.

hurrrrrr

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76
12 tasting notes

I wasn’t expecting this to taste and smell exactly like sticky rice but it does. It’s got a delicious smell and taste. It almost doesn’t taste like tea. It makes me hungry, in fact.

Flavors: Toasted Rice

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70
38 tasting notes

(Gaiwan, 30 sec infusions for first 4, +5 sec following, 13 steeps total)
Very interesting – had no idea what to expect! Wet leaves smell lightly toasted, touch of butter & starch. Pale yellow brew to start. Steeps 1-2 are delicately savory, buttery green vegetable flavors with just a little sweetness. Not getting “rice” so much as general toasty starchy notes. Fun to see the bright green “sticky rice” leaves open up while oolong leaves are still fairly tight. Steep 3 has tiny additions of bitterness and dry finish. Steeps 4-7 get a light floral aroma, though taste isn’t really there yet. Steeps 8-11 gradually lose flavor, especially buttery notes. Final steeps 12-13 get a slight boost of floral aroma and flavor, but all other flavors are receding.

Next day followed pkg directions for western brewing; had most of the same flavors as gongfu, but not as distinct. Pleasant and generally comforting.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 g 2 OZ / 50 ML

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90
306 tasting notes

This tea is exactly what you expect if you like A) good Jin Xuan and B) the flavor and aroma of Thai sticky rice. It’s scented with an herb that has that flavor and aroma. It’s delicious and enjoyable. Nice floral notes of a good Jin Xuan. Not a lot to say because this is just what I imagined it would be. I will say the Jin Xuan is a stronger and less neutral base than I expected, so the flavor is pretty balanced between the tea and the sticky rice herb. I expected the sticky rice flavor would be stronger than the tea. That was the only thing that differed from my expectation. Either way, I love it. Been looking for a good sticky rice tea for a while now and this one hits the spot!

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90
1048 tasting notes

This was my most recent sipdown. I had difficulty sleeping last night due to neck spasms, thus I stayed up late drinking tea and listening to music. At first, I was unimpressed by this flavored/scented oolong, but it grew on me in a big way over the course of my review session.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of rolled, scented tea leaves in a 4 ounce gaiwan filled with 194 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was followed by 13 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 12 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaves emitted aromas of cream, butter, vanilla, and sticky rice. After the rinse, I noted emerging sugarcane and custard aromas and an almost overpowering sticky rice scent. The first infusion saw the sticky rice absolutely dominate the nose. In the mouth, the liquor offered strong notes of sticky rice, cream, butter, vanilla, and custard chased by hints of sugarcane and banana. Subsequent infusions gradually softened, revealing mineral, popcorn, grass, daylily shoot, spinach, and seaweed impressions in the mouth. The scent of sticky rice continued to dominate the nose, but it gradually smoothed out, allowing the scents of cream, butter, vanilla, sugarcane, and custard to reassert themselves somewhat. A hint of popcorn also gradually became evident on the nose. The final infusions were very soft and smooth, offering lingering sticky rice, butter, and mineral notes balanced by somewhat subtler impressions of vanilla, cream, popcorn, and seaweed.

I was tempted to give up on this tea after the first three infusions. Though I love sticky rice, this tea was way too heavy on the sticky rice aromas and flavors in the early goings. As I pressed forward, however, the characteristics of the tea began to assert themselves more and a nice balance of Jin Xuan and sticky rice was achieved. Due to this occurrence, I found that my opinion of this tea had done a complete 180 by the time I wrapped up my review session. Definitely a tea worth trying, give this one a shot if you are the sort of person who enjoys flavored oolongs.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Custard, Grass, Popcorn, Rice, Seaweed, Sugarcane, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Crowkettle

Yay! Glad this one worked out for you in the end :)

Kawaii433

I finally got the banana and vanilla notes today. Yay. I love this tea and I love this review. I read it almost every time I drink it. :P

eastkyteaguy

Kawaii433, I’m glad you got some mileage out of this review.

Kawaii433

hehe Yeah I did and am lol.

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95
48 tasting notes

One of my favorite teas I’ve had. This tea starts out with a nice buttery and light popcorn taste. Not to mention it fills the room with those flavors almost the whole time. Very pleasant, no incense needed with this. Over time it expands out to include toast, rice and root vegetable flavors. Very smooth on the sip and swallow. Highly recommended.

Flavors: Butter, Popcorn, Rice, Toasty, Vegetables

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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90
2201 tasting notes

I recently made an order from What-Cha to try out their rose and Earl Grey oolongs, and he threw in a sample of this tea. I was curious about it, so I am glad to be able to try it!

As soon as the water hit the leaves I smelled very distinct sticky rice aromas. The combination of the butteriness and creaminess from the Jin Xuan oolong and the rice flavors reminds me of a sticky rice made with sweetened condensed milk. Rich, tasty, with a hint of that green oolong in the background just to remind you of what you are drinking. I really like this one! May be tempted to get a quantity on a future order.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Rice

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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