Vietnam 'Medium-Roast Jin Xuan' Red Oolong Tea

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Cocoa, Earth, Floral, Mineral, Nutty, Orange Zest, Roasted Nuts, Rose, Vegetal, Wood, Cedar, Cherry, Coconut, Dark Chocolate, Dark Wood, Fruity, Honey, Molasses, Nuts, Resin, Sweet, Thick, Toasted Rice, Butter, Chocolate, Cream, Malt, Raisins, Raspberry, Roasted, Almond, Caramel, Char, Grass, Plum, Straw, Toast, Vanilla
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Cameron B.
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 15 sec 6 g 8 oz / 249 ml

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10 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I was so sleepy this morning I turned on my kettle before putting the water in. How?! I started hearing a weird “clacking” noise and then a burning rubber smell, and realized what I had done. Then...” Read full tasting note
    90
  • “Gongfu! This is a really old sample but it’s been stored in its sample bag since I got it without ever having been opened so it’s held pretty well; I brought it with me to Saskatchewan for my...” Read full tasting note
    79
  • “Another from Kawaii433! Thanks so much! These dark oolongs are usually not my thing at all, but I’m always very thrilled to try a teaspoon or two. :D I’m intrigued by the ‘red’ in the name. ...” Read full tasting note
    84
  • “This is a very nice medium to full bodied tea that combines nicely the fruity sweetness and roasted notes. Its smell is thick and sweet with notes like cherry, dark wood and molasses. The liquor is...” Read full tasting note
    91

From What-Cha

Tasting Notes:
- Smooth texture
- Sweet honey taste
- Lingering notes of roasted cacao

Harvest: Spring, March 2017

Origin: Phuc Tho, Lam Ha, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam
Altitude: 1,000-1,100m
Sourced: Direct from the Vietnamese producer

Cultivar: Jin Xuan (TTES #12)
Oxidisation: High
Roast: Medium
Picking: Hand picked

Brewing Advice:
- Heat water to roughly 95°C/203°F
- Use 1-2 teaspoons per cup/small teapot
- Brew for 2-3 minutes

Packaging: Non-resealable vacuum-sealed bag packaged by the producer in Vietnam (50g or larger)

About What-Cha View company

Company description not available.

10 Tasting Notes

90
1216 tasting notes

I was so sleepy this morning I turned on my kettle before putting the water in. How?! I started hearing a weird “clacking” noise and then a burning rubber smell, and realized what I had done. Then I had to wait a good 15 minutes to know if there was any life left in the old girl so I could make my morning cuppa.

This is from 2017, best by March 2020, but was still vacuum-sealed, so I’m hoping it has held up okay. Brewed western, 3.5g to 350ml in 205F water (if my kettle wasn’t totally borked!), steeped 3 minutes. The leaf looked nicely opened and my liquor is a slightly reddish-brown color. I’ve been a little trepidacious about any oolong boasting itself as “roasted” as I sampled a few Teavivre (through Dazzle Deer) ones and they just weren’t for me, but the aroma coming off this cup is extremely pleasant… A very chocolately scent, as well as some orange zest and a light rosey sort of floral.

Thankfully this isn’t just charcoal in a cup; it is delicious! There is a slightly earthy/mineral roasted nuts quality, with some notes of cocoa and orange zest, a bit of floral sweetness, and a slightly vegetal/woody flavor as well. Everything goes together so well in the cup and is very smooth, warm, and satisfying.

I really like this one!

Flavors: Cocoa, Earth, Floral, Mineral, Nutty, Orange Zest, Roasted Nuts, Rose, Vegetal, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 12 OZ / 350 ML
Leafhopper

“Charcoal in a cup” describes what I think of many roasted oolongs. My kettle decided it wouldn’t turn itself off and boiled dry yesterday, and is on its way out. I’m picking up a new one at the hardware store this afternoon. This is actually decent timing, given that Toronto’s lockdown starts on Monday.

gmathis

Sounds like my trick this morning (putting the water in and staring at the pot wondering why nothing is happening when you failed to push the button).

Mastress Alita

I hope my kettle isn’t on the way out… I’m in an area of the US that isn’t taking “the thing” serious at all (eye roll) but I am also not in a very large town and don’t have good shopping options regardless here, especially considering the kind of fancy-schmancy kettle I prefer. The idea of it dying and having to wait on a new one to arrive via mail order is terrifying…

And clearly they need to design these things with the various levels of unconsciousness at which tea is brewed in mind! ;-)

Leafhopper

My kettle is officially dead. I got one cup of tea out of it this morning before it gave up the ghost, which is not really enough. Fortunately, it’s a cheap, easily replaceable model.

Maybe you can get a back-up fancy-schmancy kettle during the Black Friday sales? I agree, though, that waiting would be miserable, so I hope yours survives to make many more cups of tea!

AJRimmer

Ha yeah my kettle died a few months ago, and I boiled water on the stove until a replacement arrived. Then that one died, so more stove boiling until that replacement came.

Dustin

Isn’t there a saying about how the problem with making coffee in the morning is you have to make it before you’ve had coffee? Or maybe it was a friend that said that. I think the same idea applies to tea.

Mastress Alita

Wise friend, and very true!

Leafhopper

AJRimmer, you seem to have bad luck with kettles. Mine typically last between one and two years, but then again, I get the cheap ones.

I just got home with a replacement kettle and will be making my second cup of tea shortly.

tea-sipper

So many breaking kettles. I like my cheapo Bodum. I can get them to last for years, using it three times a day usually:
https://www.target.com/p/bodum-bistro-electric-water-kettle/-/A-50562814?preselect=21561839#lnk=sametab
The first Bodum was vintage from my Gram about 15 years ago, and I’ve only had to buy two Bodums since the vintage one finally broke. Good enough for me!

Mastress Alita

My kettle is still working fine so far. It just didn’t for about 15-20 minutes after “the incident”. But I insist on having a froo-froo temperature control kettle. :-P

Leafhopper

Tea-sipper, I typically do one gongfu session per day, which produces ten to fourteen small cups of tea. Since I do two steeps at once, I might use my kettle seven times for that session alone, plus whatever other teas I drink Western style. Not surprisingly, I go through kettles quickly.

Mastress Alita, I’m glad your fancy kettle is still working! :)

Dustin

I’m on my third Breville kettle and when this one breaks like the others, I’m switching to a different brand.

Cameron B.

@Dustin – I use the Cuisinart PerfecTemp kettle and love it, haven’t had any issues yet over several years.

Dustin

I’m kind of in hate with Cuisinart right now. I just had a Cuisinart toaster oven/air fryer die within their two year warranty and they wouldn’t honor their warranty or offer any help because I couldn’t find the receipt. Maybe my hate for them will have worn off by the time this kettle dies.

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79
15575 tasting notes

Gongfu!

This is a really old sample but it’s been stored in its sample bag since I got it without ever having been opened so it’s held pretty well; I brought it with me to Saskatchewan for my vacation because I thought it would be a nice opportunity to give it a whirl!

It was my morning tea today – sipped slowly in my dad’s living room over a little bit of light music and some conversation. It’s been really nice having the time this vacation to just slowly and peacefully have long Gongfu sessions (and usually with some nice surroundings too)! I ended up completely brewing out the tea, and it was handedly a dozen infusions – though since I’m using a teacup much bigger than the pot I’m brewing in they’ve typically been stacked infusions. Two or three at a time.

I like Jin Xuan a lot, but more the greener kind – I haven’t really tried much roasted Jin Xuan, I think. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect but this was smooth, medium bodied and coating in the mouth. It had the creaminess of mouthfeel I’d expect from a greener Jin Xuan without being nearly so creamy and buttery in taste, though it was still a little bit creamy. More so I experienced warming notes of roasted mixed nuts, sweet honey notes, and hints of fruits like prunes – generally with a light woody and floral undertone. I imagine it would have been much better when fresh, but even still this was a great session!

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6jDH6Hg7be/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osv71FQ0quY

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84
4170 tasting notes

Another from Kawaii433! Thanks so much! These dark oolongs are usually not my thing at all, but I’m always very thrilled to try a teaspoon or two. :D I’m intrigued by the ‘red’ in the name. There is a slight red tinge to these charcoal leaves. The bundles are very tightly wrapped. The flavor is charcoal, but not too much – very sweet and syrupy as well. Tastes very mineral and healthy. A nice lingering flavor. Very delicious for a tea that isn’t usually my thing at all. I don’t try enough of these types of teas to tell if this is the best of the best. But as usual, a very tough tea for me to describe. My tastebuds draw a blank on these types, unlike some other extravagant tea notes.
I really want to buy some of the What-cha Sticky rice oolong but I really don’t want to pay $6 shipping for just one tea. I realize they’re a tiny operation, but $6 is a lot of shipping for one tea, even if a couple others are also catching my eye.
Steep #1 // not quite 1 teaspoon for a full mug // 24 minutes after boiling // rinse // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 6 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min

Kawaii433

You’re very welcome and when I order again, I can get you some Sticky rice oolong and you can piggyback and not pay for shipping… Or I can just send you some of my stash. I still have quite a lot. <3

tea-sipper

Oh that would be awesome of you. I actually wouldn’t mind some of the old stash of Sticky rice… I thought that one was perfect. But I still owe you a package, so we can wait a while.

Leafhopper

I’ve been wanting to try that oolong too, but having 25 or 50 g of something I don’t like is a definite possibility. And yes, paying $6 to ship one tea isn’t worth it. I usually wait till I can exceed the free shipping threshold, which could happen for What-Cha.

Kawaii433

tea-sipper, bah don’t worry about it. I’m still working on sipdowns hehe. I’ll send you some when I go to the post office next week on Mon or Tues.

tea-sipper

Kawaii, if you insist. I REALLY appreciate it. That sticky rice keeps lingering in my mind. :D

tea-sipper

Leafhopper: Yeah, the free shipping limit isn’t too bad for What-cha, I just know I shouldn’t be acquiring ‘free-shipping-limit’ amounts of tea right now. haha

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91
943 tasting notes

This is a very nice medium to full bodied tea that combines nicely the fruity sweetness and roasted notes. Its smell is thick and sweet with notes like cherry, dark wood and molasses. The liquor is bubbly, soft, mouth-watering and gets decently thick throughout the session and also as it cools down. It has a cooling finish.

Taste is quite complex and balanced. Among the notes I found are those of toasted rice, nuts, resin, coconut skin and cedar. I also like the fruity aftertaste that lingers for a while.

I will try to get this one in my next What-Cha order.

Flavors: Cedar, Cherry, Coconut, Dark Chocolate, Dark Wood, Fruity, Honey, Molasses, Nuts, Resin, Sweet, Thick, Toasted Rice

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 30 sec 5 g 7 OZ / 200 ML
Kawaii433

I really enjoyed this review, eastkyteaguy and derk’s review on this. I have it in my cupboard and really love it. As you said, it’s complex but all I know is it tastes really good. ^^ It’s a keeper for me.

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95
379 tasting notes

Been drinking this throughout the week, and I am really enjoying it. I thought the sticky rice was my favorite out of this package but then I really like this one too. I feel fickle when I drink tea. My taste buds and my stomach can be fickle… Sometimes certain tea is comforting and other times, I need to get a bite to eat to continue to ease my tummy.

There are already great reviews on this but here I go.^^ The dry leaf consists of dark little nuggets and has a nice aroma of roast, bittersweet chocolate, vegetal. The wet leaves smell like roasted nuts, chocolate, tamarind fruit. The liquor which is medium-amber smelled like malt, cocoa, roast. It’s complex, and today, the notes I tasted consisted of creamy dark cocoa, like bittersweet chocolate chips, malt, honey, sweet tamarind, roasted nuts, butter, raisins, raspberries, tart cherries.

Note: I always have salted tamarind candy and raw tamarind (not the sweet type but the sour tamarind) as an available snack at home, and there were times some of my infusions reminded me of my tamarind candy. (I just emailed steepster to suggest the tamarind fruit flavor)

Yixing gaiwan, 5g, 110ml, 200°F, 9 steeps, 25s, 35s, 45s, 55s, 1m5s, 1m15s, 1m25s, 1m35s, 1m45s

Flavors: Butter, Cherry, Chocolate, Cocoa, Cream, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Nuts, Raisins, Raspberry, Roasted

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

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88
1048 tasting notes

For the second review of the evening, I will be offering my thoughts on another tea I drank recently. I finished my sample pouch of this tea around the middle of last week. I found it to be a very nice roasted oolong, though I must admit I have tried way too many roasted Jin Xuan oolongs recently.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of rolled tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 8 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 10 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 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, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cedar, vanilla, raisin, and honey. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of cocoa, char, toast, and black cherry along with a stronger vanilla aroma. The first infusion introduced subtle scents of butter and roasted almond. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of cocoa, cedar, cream, and raisin that chased by impressions of toast, roasted almond, char, vanilla, and honey. Subsequent infusions saw dominant vanilla and cream aromas emerge on the nose along with hints of plum, straw, and caramel. There were stronger vanilla, roasted almond, and toast notes in the mouth, though I also noted the belated emergence of butter and black cherry flavors along with new grass, daylily shoot, mineral, straw, caramel, and plum impressions. The final infusions offered notes of minerals, cream, butter, and cocoa that were balanced by subtler straw, vanilla, cedar, and raisin notes.

An interesting and complex roasted Jin Xuan oolong with a bit of an edge, this was a very satisfying tea overall. That being said, I have tried a couple other roasted Jin Xuan oolongs that were more unique and that struck me as offering a bit more depth and complexity compared to this one. Still, this was a very good tea, and I would not caution anyone interested in Southeast Asian oolongs to avoid it.

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Caramel, Cedar, Char, Cherry, Cocoa, Cream, Grass, Honey, Mineral, Plum, Raisins, Roasted, Straw, Toast, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
derk

Sounds like I’ll have to give this one a whirl gongfu :)

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89
1557 tasting notes

Received as a 50g mystery tea.

Gone western. 2 tsp, 205F, 3/5/8min then 10min simmer.

Dry leaf is fragrant, smelling of cacao, caraway seed, roast, wood. Wet leaf after first steep smelled like raspberry, red cherry, roast, caraway seed and green pickle.

A stable and consistent, smooth tea brewed western. Liquor smelled of red fruit, malt, cocoa and orange? and produced a very clear light amber cup, turning to dark amber then light again. The taste had notes of nuts (closest I could get was roasted pecan, maybe brazil nut?), roast, wood, red fruit, cocoa and light mineral with a light sweetness and lingering pleasant aftertaste. The mouthfeel moved from glassy and milky (skim) to thinner and a tad drying, then thicker and slick in the third steep.

Simmering the leaves produced a brilliant and dark orange-red cup smelling of lactose, brown sugar, honey and roasted grains and/or nuts. Hard to say but I couldn’t stop sniffing it. It tasted and felt a lot like boiled milk with the addition of honey and roasted nuts, a hint of cacao and sweet citrus making an appearance in the back of the mouth. No hint of bitterness or astringency. Very comforting. Taste hung around for a long time and my tongue was left tingling. Really interesting! I’m glad I decided to experiment with simmering the leaves of a roasted jin xuan.

I’m pretty impressed with this tea! Check it out. I saw it’s on sale, too. I wish I wasn’t so stocked up at the moment with other teas (plus 2 big pu’er orders coming) or I’d buy more for the winter.

Preparation
2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85
8 tasting notes

I got this tea for Christmas and I was quite surprised when I smelled the leaves, as they don’t seem to have a very strong aroma of any kind. You can kind of smell that it’s a roasted Oolong (you can mostly smell the roast), but aside of that, there isn’t a lot you can smell. The leaves after brewing have a really strong smoke-y aroma and almost smell like burnt coal a little bit. The tea’s taste is, despite my expectations, quite smooth yet also strong in flavour. It’s very wooden and charcoal-y and has some nutty flavour as well. I was personally slightly overwhelmed by the intesity of this tea, which might be because I have used too much leaf. As of now, I would personally say that I quite like this tea and if my second tea-session with this tea (and fewer leaves) turns out less overwhelming, I will adjust the score accordingly.

Flavors: Char, Nuts, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 10 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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