Da Yu Ling Oolong Tea

As i said the last time I logged this, I get very little floral from this oolong. It’s buttery and creamy, much like the Dong Ding that I drank from Teavivre this morning. I might like this oolong slightly better, but I can’t say exactly why.

I’ve been looking forward to trying out another of the samples from Yezi. 3 out of my 4 samples were oolongs, but I put off sampling them because I haven’t been in an oolong mood lately. I think that is about to change because this tea is wonderful. I just wish I hadn’t been so distracted while I was drinking it, but it is after midnight already and I still have a lot to get ready before my guests arrive later today.

This tea has such a wonderful buttery texture to it. I love to find this texture in a tea, those are the ones that I generally get lost in, although there isn’t time for that tonight. It wasn’t nearly as floral as I expected, instead it had a subtle sweetness to it. Another wonderful sample from Yezi Tea, I can’t wait to try the other two later today.

Yes, today is an Oolong day! Specifically Da Yu Ling Oolong by Yezi Tea. This tea is the highest grade of Taiwanese Oolongs (ooh fancy!) and grows 7,500 ft above sea level where they are frequently blanketed by fog. Apparently the fog and temperature gradient turns this tea into a veritable warrior of flavor, fighting the other Oolongs to gracefully bow to you and claim it is your champion. Why yes, I have been reading High Fantasy again, why do you ask?

The aroma of the dry leaves is so good I actually moaned, I have no shame, but I am glad I was home alone while enjoying this tea. Very sweet and yeasty, like freshly baking bread. There is also the intoxicating scent of honey and orchids with a small afterthought of allspice. Here is where it gets weird, the aroma reminds me of the smell of Amanita bisporigera aka Destroying Angel, the world’s most toxic mushroom, and that is awesome. How is that awesome, you are probably asking, because those mushrooms smell great! Sweet like baking bread and flowers, pretty odd for such a deadly thing. I really swear this is a compliment from an avid amateur Mycologist.

Time for steeping! Oh no, I did it again, I inhaled the aroma and moaned in joy, how embarrassing. The steeping leaves take on a wonderfully rich roasted chestnut aroma that blends tantalizingly with the aroma of honey drenched orchids. I am not exaggerating when I say the aroma of the steeping leaves is mouthwatering. The liquid once the leaves have been removed smells much milder, like a whisper of the original aroma from the steeping leaves.

Why is this tea so good? I took a sip and just spaced out staring at the backyard while the flavor transports me to a trance state. The taste is very mild and subtle but the flavors that are there are so good, it is like tasting tea in a dream where the flavors are very clear but muted at the same time because this is a dream. Those dream like flavors are heady orchids and sweet honey.

If you guessed that I was going to try a second steeping then you are completely correct! The liquid takes on even more of an intense roasted chestnut aroma and becomes even headier. I think I am getting dizzy. The flavor is still very mild and similar to the first steep but now the chestnut taste starts to stand out. I also notice a mineral aftertaste that I always appreciate in an Oolong.

The third and final steep brings out even more intensity in the aroma, all the other scents that were there before are still there but take on a richer tone. The taste becomes more mellow but with the floral notes take center stage as the chestnut ones fade out. The longer you sip the more intense the floral taste becomes. I could get lost in this tea.

Blog review and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/10/yezi-tea-da-yu-ling-oolong-tea-tea.html

Another oolong sample from Yezi Tea! When I opened up the packet, it smelled sweet and maybe a little nutty and buttery. I’m still pretty new to oolongs and identifying smells/tastes in tea, so this may be confusing.

First steep: Steeped for 45 seconds as recommended. Has a buttery texture. It’s sweet, but not as sweet as I remember Li Shan being. Also tastes a little nutty. There is also a floral taste toward the end. As it cooled down, I started detecting a slight bitter aftertaste.

Second steep: Tastes pretty much the same except a little less buttery in texture. I’m sure there are nuances that I’m missing out on, but to me, it tastes good and that’s all that matters, haha.

Third steep: The water was definitely not hot enough, so I didn’t get the flavors as strongly. Aaand I don’t have time to steep any more, sad.

Overall, I did enjoy this tea. I think I prefer the Li Shan (also Yezi Tea) over this one because this was a little more bitter if I’m remembering correctly. Yay for exploring oolong!

A deep, rich golden color. Fragrant in an oolong kind of way with creamy mouthfeel. Flavors a little subtle compared to the color. The finish and depth of flavor was not nearly as long as the Li Shan from the same company. Maybe it was a steeping issue. I did not get a chance to do a second or third steeping so this review reflects only the first steeping.

Light Oolong with a buttery floral aroma. This tea has a sweet and buttery taste with floral a flavor. It is light and smooth but not a tea that really wowed me. It does have a bit of a spicy aftertaste like a cinnamon fireball, it is subtle but lingers.

Pretty sure this tea that I am drinking is old…
There might be a cream to the texture, but the taste is very stale like for a green tea which makes it taste kind of gross. Da Yu Ling is normally a very front hitting floral which I love, but right now it’s just not good :/

The inhalation of the steam off this tea is transportive to me. Gives new meaning to “high tea” … Has me wondering if the nose can actually taste, because it seems that way with this … pure, natural sweetness of meadow and orchid. I intend to try it before meditation some time soon.

The first steep was far too long due to a distraction yet still produced a delicious cup. Sweet, soft floral, just perfect. This is one of very few teas that I would move into a weekly rotation. Going to keep an eye on Yezi to see if they announce a sale. Meanwhile, if anyone is up for a trade, pm me ;)

Oolongs are one of the most enjoyable teas to watch when brewing. With Da Yu Ling, the dark green leaves are curled tightly into tiny, crooked balls when dry. By tiny, I mean smaller than a button. As the tea brews, the leaves unfurl to reveal their full, beautiful almond shape about the size of your thumb. That’s huge, compared to other tea leaves! This visual surprise is one of the reasons why I love oolong tea.

Also, oolongs have a distinct orchid fragrance compared to other teas. It’s lightly floral, with more exotic and regal hints than a typical floral or green tea. From there, the oolong scent spectrum expands, ranging from vegetal to sweet to slightly fruity. When dry, Da Yu Ling lies on the vegetal end; but when brewed, it exudes an enchanting mix of orchid, grass, and butter. I don’t detect the tangerine notes described by Yezi, yet the richness of Da Yu Ling’s bouquet is exactly what I look for from a good oolong.

Apart from Teavana’s Monkey-Picked Oolong, Da Yu Ling Oolong is the first tea I’ve tried that the vendor recommends to steep multiple times. For the first cup, I brewed about 1½ teaspoons for 1 minute. The water turns a pretty pale gold, with a minty green tinge. Of course, there’s no mint whatsoever when you sip it. In fact, the first cup of Da Yu Ling tastes like green tea – fresh, grassy, natural. Maybe that shouldn’t surprise me, since the dry leaves gave off that scent. Yet it did.

What makes Da Yu Ling a star is its additional steeps. The leaves release more flavor as the brew time increases. The steep I savored the most is at 90 seconds. Here, the liquid takes on a beautiful gold hue, and the orchid current starts to weave itself through. The tea also develops a smooth, buttery texture and a delightfully sweet finish. Whenever the 90-second brew is gone, my heart flops with disappointment because I enjoyed it so much – but then my mood flips to excitement, because the empty mug means I can make a new cup! I’d advise against brewing Da Yu Ling past 4 minutes, however. Beyond that point, a mild bitterness replaces the sweetness and eventually overpowers the floral notes.

Read my full review here: http://bibliophilesreverie.com/2014/09/17/tea-time-at-reverie-yezi-teas-da-yu-ling-oolong-tea/

This is my first time with a Da Yu Ling. The taste was overall reminiscent of a Jin Xuan mixed with maybe an Ali Shan. The flavor was mostly what I’ve come to expect from a high quality Taiwanese oolong, light and floral with notes of mountain greenery. There was a hint of spice like maybe camphor or clove on the first steep as well as a bit of a creamy taste. As the infusions went on, they became more floral and subdued with a honey-like sweetness.

With other Taiwanese oolongs, there is often a quality that sticks out to me and makes it taste unique. Dong Ding has that dried fruit kind of flavor, and Jun Xuan is very milky, while Shan Lin Xi is very foresty and Tie Guanyin is floral and leafy. As for Da Yu Ling, it seems like a balanced tea and nothing particular stands out to me in the flavor, so it is not one I will likely be keeping in my own cupboard, but if you love a nice clean and floral Taiwanese oolong, this is a good pick.