13 Years Aged Da Hong Pao Rock Oolong

Another run-in with an aged oolong…

The roast on this is strong, but balanced. Unlike other heavily-roasted oolongs I have had, this one has deep roastiness without assaulting your palate with lighter fluid and charcoal. In fact, it has the depth and richness of a well-roasted coffee.

As for the aging, I suppose it has helped add some depth of flavor. It reminds me of a pu’erh with some age on it, with a lingering base of sweet earthy flavors that help other flavors pop and transition.

So, I certainly did enjoy drinking this tea. For me, though, I still prefer less of a charcoal note so that I have access to finer flavors. This one was so roasty that it really just made me want to grab a cup of coffee.

Also, I’m cheap. At $7 for 25g, I’m paying about $2 per session. Not bad for a treat, but if I’m going to treat myself, I’ll stick with Tie Luo Han, which I thought had a more dynamic experience. For a more economical Wu Yi, I recommend Golden Guan Yin Da Hong Pao or Traditional Roast Shui Xian.
*
Dry Leaf – dry nuttiness like peanut shell, dry spice, cocoa powder, musty fruitiness – some prune, citric tartness, hints at charcoal roast. In preheated vessel – big whallop of charcoal – not super pleasant.

Smell – charcoal roast, peanut shell, hard wood. Again, not really pleasant.

Taste – bold charcoal roast (but not lighter fluid), deep roasted nut, coffee-like. Development has creamy earthiness and minerality that includes some marine savoriness. Aftertaste gives way to melon, citrus tart notes with underlying sweet prune.

[UPDATE – I discovered that this tea responds well when you extend the late infusions a great deal (>8 minutes) – the resulting liquid is more concentrated at first, and has a sweet complexity towards the end of the session, finally revealing the stone fruit/peach notes I was hoping to find earlier.]

11 years old now, rather than 9…my first encounter with Da Hong Pao:

Brewed in my porcelain Jingdezhen gaiwan with Los Angeles municipal tap water just off the boil throughout.

5-6 infusions ranging from 5 seconds to 2+ minutes: field drab liquor; ash, river stones, leather, and wood-ear…no stone fruit that I can detect, though a hint of spice appears in later steepings (star anise? pepper?). Woodsy, dry finish.

More one-note than I anticipated, and yielding a shorter session than I hoped (I wonder if this is true of most Wu-Yi teas? I experienced the same thing with the Lapsang souchong I had from Yunnan Sourcing as well)…still, pretty good over-all.

I am in a tough spot of mental illness. I am trying to be gentle to myself.

This had cha qi from the first sip. I thought I was imagining things until I looked at the website description and it did indeed mention powerful qi. Perhaps it is from being re-roasted a few times over the course of nearly a decade.

Gongfu’d in my Da Hong Pao yixing. First steep was of roasted mineral water. Subsequent steeps gave way to distinct notes of bourbon and vanilla coke aged in an oak barrel. When the bourbon gave out, last few steeps were of light cola with a dash of honey.

Not something I could drink every day, but what an experience it was!

I am relatively new to drinking roasted oolongs. The information on the YS website says this has been roasted three times over the course of nearly a decade. Despite this, the roasted flavor is not at all overbearing. It has a deep, juicy flavor that lingers on the palatte. It reminds me of coffee, of the first time the furnace is turned on for the winter, of dark bourbon and water. This may be the tea that turns me on to this style.

As a very big fan of Da Hong Pao, I was excited to try this.
The leaves are very dark, and glisten almost black when wet. This tea has been skilfully roasted, leaving no offending burnt aromas behind, just a lovely strong but not overbearing roast flavor that lingers on in the first 3-4 brews especially, then lifts off to reveal the more delicate and recognisable yancha fruity tastes. A great experience to drink this tea as that transformation happens.
Nice relaxing Cha Qi and goes many rounds gongfu style. It has quickly become a favorite wuyi rock tea for me, as a drinker who would normally favor a lower roast than this. I really appreciate when I can taste and smell a great roast that brings out the best qualities of the tea leaves, without masking them, and rubbing your face in a pile of charcoal and ash.
I have not given this tea a points value. Just try it, the proof is in the cup.