Wu Yi Shan Rock Tea "Classic Rou Gui" Oolong tea

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Astringent, Caramel, Cinnamon, Floral, Fruity, Green, Honey, Mineral, Wood, Dark Chocolate, Pastries, Raisins, Wet Rocks
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by tperez
Average preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 30 sec 6 g 5 oz / 140 ml

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7 Tasting Notes View all

  • “Used my new 140ml yixing for this tasting and I anticipated a good tasting but alas I screwed up. I used 3 gm tea for the preparation and steeped initially for 20 seconds at 190F and got a limpid...” Read full tasting note
    75
  • “I was anticipating roast and minerals here, but found an astringency reminiscent of Dan Cong that distracted me from much else going on in my cup. Tasty but a little jarring. I honestly think I’m...” Read full tasting note
  • “Since I’m not fond of aggressive roasting, Wuyi oolongs are always a bit of a gamble. This one from 2015 was never too roasted to begin with, and I’m sure the years have mellowed it even further. I...” Read full tasting note
    80
  • “Dry leaf – SWEET, SPICE, MINERAL, NUT (primary light cinnamon/Mexican chocolate and wet rock minerality; notes of dark caramel and bitter green leafiness. In preheated vessel – pungent green...” Read full tasting note
    86

From Yunnan Sourcing

Rou Gui means Cinnamon in Chinese (肉桂茶). It’s varietal of Wu Yi Mountain rock tea that has been around since the Qing Dynasty. First flush of spring tea is picked, wilted, fried, wilted again then lightly roasted to bring out it’s subtle bouquet of aroma and tastes.

Our Rou Gui is a medium roast level and can be brewed 6 to 8 times easily using the gong fu method of brewing. The brewed tea produces a golden tea soup with hints of fruit and chocolate. A lovely tea that can accompany you on almost any tea session.

Late May 2013 harvest

About Yunnan Sourcing View company

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7 Tasting Notes

75
188 tasting notes

Used my new 140ml yixing for this tasting and I anticipated a good tasting but alas I screwed up. I used 3 gm tea for the preparation and steeped initially for 20 seconds at 190F and got a limpid tea. I let the next steep go for 30 seconds and it was better but not quite right, still a little thin. I guess I need a little more tes say 5 gm. There was no cinnamon or robust florals as in other Rou Guis I’ve try, so back to the lab, hope its not the tea as it was a sample and I would hope you give out a sample to attract not repel.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec

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391 tasting notes

I was anticipating roast and minerals here, but found an astringency reminiscent of Dan Cong that distracted me from much else going on in my cup. Tasty but a little jarring. I honestly think I’m just not quite in a place to sit and commune with leaves right now, too, body or mind, so this is a grain-of-salt take and a pause button until such time…

Flavors: Astringent

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80
413 tasting notes

Since I’m not fond of aggressive roasting, Wuyi oolongs are always a bit of a gamble. This one from 2015 was never too roasted to begin with, and I’m sure the years have mellowed it even further. I steeped about 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, and 120 seconds.

This oolong has notes of wood, caramel, honey, minerals, undefined fruitiness, florals, and yes, even some cinnamon. The roast stays in the background, supporting and not drowning the other flavours. By the third steep, the tea has become simultaneously greener and more roasted, with some lingering charcoal. Like another reviewer stated, I find many of the nuances emerge in the aftertaste. By steep seven or so, it starts getting less interesting, fading into minerality and roast.

I did a long steep overnight and the results were surprisingly good, with wood, spice, and a lot of astringency.

Although I want more fruit and cinnamon in my Rou Gui, this is a complex oolong with a roast that doesn’t remind me of a campfire.

Flavors: Caramel, Cinnamon, Floral, Fruity, Green, Honey, Mineral, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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86
167 tasting notes

Dry leaf – SWEET, SPICE, MINERAL, NUT (primary light cinnamon/Mexican chocolate and wet rock minerality; notes of dark caramel and bitter green leafiness. In preheated vessel – pungent green leafiness and dried apricot)

Smell – MINERAL, SWEET (wet rock minerality, walnut, bitter leafiness; notes of cinnamon chocolate and dark caramel)

Taste – MINERAL, NUT, SWEET, EARTHY, SPICE, FRUIT (In mouth – mineral, dry nuttiness, some cinnamon and spice notes, tea leaves. Finish lingers on cinnamon and some chocolate/dark caramel. Aftertaste mouth-coating and complex, with sweet cinnamon, root beer (sarsaparilla), red fruit, apricot.)

Overall a tasty Wu Yi oolong. Flavors in the mouth are pretty standard – dry minerality and some nuttiness, hints at the cassia/cinnamon of its name. The aftertaste, however, is complex and coats the mouth. Multiple flavors pop out in different parts of the mouth – some fruit, some spice, some nut, some earthy-sweet.

Be sure to take the time to sit back and let the aftertaste develop. This tea doesn’t give away very much in the mouth.

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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78
261 tasting notes

Similar burnt chocolate / mineral rock notes as Da Hong Pao and other yanchas, but seems to have a less bold, thinner flavour.

Wet leaves smell of raisins and the liquor smells of sweet pastry crust. Pleasant but not outstanding. Will experiment with this one a bit more, maybe using more leaf and brewing in my Yixing pot.

Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Pastries, Raisins, Wet Rocks

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C

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91
318 tasting notes

Creamy texture and caramel, spice, and fruit notes. Slight mineral quality, excellent cinnamon/floral aroma.

This is the best Wuyi I’ve had, though that being said I haven’t had very many.

Flavors: Caramel, Cinnamon, Floral, Mineral

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 5 OZ / 150 ML
boychik

I really really liked the one from Tao Tea Leaf. Not that I’ve tried many

Sammerz314

I live about 10 minutes from Tao Tea Leaf =) LOL

mrmopar

Lucky dog to be that close…

boychik

Omg. I would be there every day. Everything I tried from them was great. Can’t wait for the next sale;)

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75
187 tasting notes

Dry – A ‘dark’ / roasted sweetness, mineral oolong notes, some wood-spice (Cinnamon? not getting clear Cinnamon notes), Caramel.
Wet – Oolong mineral/rock notes, very floral, wood-spice notes, sweetness that comes from a roasted/dark source not so much line honey.
Liquor – Copper — very aromatic of Wood-spice(Cinnamon), Honey, mineral, floral and roasted sweetness.

This tea is very aromatic, it has very apparent floral-bitter/tart notes that emanate from the cup, sweet mesquite honey notes and finally get an apparent Cinnamon/wood-spice scent followed by the hallmark mineral/rock/hay Oolong notes.

The liquor is fairly smooth but pieces are not uncommon, filter if you don’t want residual astringency, however I feel like this is very pleasant. It wears all of its floral notes well, the Cinnamon character is lacking in my opinion; mostly caramel sweetness with floral and mineral. As it goes down some more of the wood-spice notes come forward and after a while the Cinnamon is more clear. This is definitely a tea to keep at work, I’ve done very short steeps and some a bit longer and the taste barely changes. It doesn’t endure much in western cup style, I’d stick to using portable Gong Fu methods, and enjoy 3-5 good cups.

Nothing too special. A great cup of work, the aroma is VERY enjoyable, definitely its best trait.

Flavors: Caramel, Floral, Mineral, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 g 6 OZ / 170 ML
boychik

Thank you for reviewing this tea. i bought it but wasnt able to sample it. Im at my summer house now. But i tried Jing Tea shop version. it was very good but i dont think it was rich enough. JTS is medium roasted. Is YS heavy roasted?

JC

I think this one is medium roasted, but think in the higher range of what you consider medium roast. There’s still some dark green color in the leaves, but not much cinnamon taste, it is mostly in the aftertaste. I bought a bag of this and Scott sent me sample of another Oolong which in my opinion knocks this one out of the table. I’ll update once I get home and let you know the name of that one in case you want to sample it. :)

boychik

Pls do. BTW have you tried that Ya Shi Xiang Dan Cong (duck shit). name is just gross. i wonder if its good.

JC

LOL! I haven’t. I want to try it, but I have to wait until my next tea order. I find the name funny, and wonder if it does indeed smell like Duck shit. I used to visit a farming family as a little kid and I know the scent.

boychik

I’m in Pocono,PA now. We have ducks in the lake and everywhere. and in a pool which is annoying. I wouldn’t want my kids to swim in duck poop. I don’t mind looking at them from a distance.

JC

The other Oolong Scott sent me was 2013 Spring AA Grade “Hua Xiang Shui Xian”. I feel like this one is a step up to the Classic Rou Gui.

boychik

thanks, will put it on wishlist ;)

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