Qi Lan - Unroasted (2017)

Tea type
Oolong Tea
Ingredients
Oolong Tea Leaves
Flavors
Almond, Anise, Brown Sugar, Butter, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Floral, Fruity, Graham, Grass, Lemon, Milk, Mineral, Oak, Orchid, Peach, Vanilla, Wood, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cream, Honey, Lemon Zest, Peanut, Pear, Raisins
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Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by eastkyteaguy
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 g 3 oz / 94 ml

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3 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I whispered, ‘Wow.’ This unroasted Qi Lan packs it in with an undeniable strength in aroma, taste and aftertaste. The dry leaf had aromas of dark chocolate, brown sugar, anise, orchid, oak wood...” Read full tasting note
    93
  • “This was another somewhat more recent sipdown of mine, as I finished my sample pouch of this oolong at the end of July. I had been meaning to try it ever since acquiring it earlier in the year...” Read full tasting note
    78
  • “Orchid, butter, violet,macadamia, and almonds, oh my. A little bit of a sweetness, some viscousness, a lingering floral aftertaste, and medium longevity. I did gong fu in my 30 second increments,...” Read full tasting note
    90

From Old Ways Tea

This tea is from the exact same batch as the normal charcoal roast 2017 Qi Lan. It has not been roast at all, neither charcoal or electric roast. Instead it is the tea after being selected from the maocha. In Wuyishan we call this zoushui Qil Lan (走水奇兰). When compared to the charcoal roast this unroast tea still has some green and yellow color to it. When brewed it has a powerful clear fragrance.

Since both teas are from the same batch it is possible to compare them and better understand what roasting does to the tea.

About Old Ways Tea View company

Company description not available.

3 Tasting Notes

93
1598 tasting notes

I whispered, ‘Wow.’

This unroasted Qi Lan packs it in with an undeniable strength in aroma, taste and aftertaste. The dry leaf had aromas of dark chocolate, brown sugar, anise, orchid, oak wood and vanilla. I’m surprised to have picked up those darker notes in an unroasted tea, but maybe it was my familiarity with the normally roasted Qi Lan playing games with my olfactories. The aroma of the warmed and rinsed leaf was like walking into an orchid shop with some whiffs from the bakery next door that was browning some butter.

I had to drink the rinse.

The aroma wafting from the cup had strong notes of orchid, brown sugar and vanilla. The taste was an expansive bouquet of orchids in the mouth again with the brown sugar and vanilla while a very pure and pronounced minerality flowed underneath and glided across the tongue. Delicately oily with very light astringency and bitterness. The aftertastes were equally decadent with orchid, vanilla, white peach, chocolate, graham? and milk? This fanfare continued for another 3 steeps before giving way to a more delicate symphony which brought the white peach forward along with some lemon water and grass. The aftertastes moved into almond, butter and wood and the tea completely gave up the ghost with its eighth infusion (including the rinse).

Overall, this tea made a lasting impression with its upfront aromas and tastes and prolonged aftertastes. It was missing a bit of body and was lacking in longevity but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to try an unroasted Wuyi oolong both for its own sake and for comparison to its roasted companion.

7.3g, 100mL, 200F, rinse (drank) followed by 7 steeps of 10/15/20/25/30/40/50s

Flavors: Almond, Anise, Brown Sugar, Butter, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Floral, Fruity, Graham, Grass, Lemon, Milk, Mineral, Oak, Orchid, Peach, Vanilla, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 OZ / 100 ML
Daylon R Thomas

I so hope this returns.

derk

Me, too. I’m longing for it already.

Todd

Oh wow, that sounds amazing.

derk

Todd, Old Ways Tea is located in San Jose. I no longer have this tea but I’ll send you a few other samples from them, including a roasted version of this tea. I think the first time I ordered from Old Ways Tea, there was an option to pick up the order directly from them. I’m not sure if that option is still available. I regret not doing it but I’m never exactly in the mood for a Caltrain journey.

Bluegreen

“I had to drink the rinse.” He-he. Well said.

Mastress Alita

And somewhere, a tea pet is now starving, and looking at you with its sad, judgmental clay eyes…

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78
1049 tasting notes

This was another somewhat more recent sipdown of mine, as I finished my sample pouch of this oolong at the end of July. I had been meaning to try it ever since acquiring it earlier in the year mostly because I had never before tried an unroasted Wuyi oolong. Overall, I found it to be a pretty interesting tea, though not the sort of thing I would want to have on a regular basis.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 195 F water for 7 seconds. This infusion was chased by 13 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 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, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted slightly woody, grassy aromas with floral and fruity hints. After the rinse, I noted distinct impressions of orchid, honey, raisin, roasted peanut, and cream on the nose. The first infusion then revealed a cedar aroma and stronger scents of orchid and honey. In the mouth, I detected notes of orchid, cream, cinnamon, and honey that were balanced by roasted peanut and cedar notes. The subsequent infusions saw the nose turn citrusy and mineral-laden. A slightly stronger roasted peanut note appeared in the mouth along with belatedly emerging raisin and grass notes. New impressions of minerals, pear, roasted almond, and butter appeared in the mouth along with hints of lemon zest. The final infusions emphasized lingering mineral, roasted peanut, roasted almond, and cream notes that were underscored by lemon zest impressions.

Seeing as how I tried this tea and Old Ways Tea’s 2016 Qilan very close together, it was fascinating for me to see just how much a roast can change a tea. Without the characteristic Wuyi roast, this tea took on a character somewhat reminiscent of a baozhong, but with the heavy mineral profile so typical of traditional Wuyi oolongs. Though I most definitely prefer my Wuyi oolongs roasted, this was still a fun little tea. I’m glad I took the opportunity to try it.

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cream, Grass, Honey, Lemon Zest, Mineral, Orchid, Peanut, Pear, Raisins

Preparation
5 g 3 OZ / 88 ML
derk

I have the unroasted 2017, 2016 and 2017 Qi Lan spread from Old Ways Tea. Looking forward to the comparisons.

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90
1724 tasting notes

Orchid, butter, violet,macadamia, and almonds, oh my. A little bit of a sweetness, some viscousness, a lingering floral aftertaste, and medium longevity. I did gong fu in my 30 second increments, grandpa and western a while back and I greatly enjoyed it. It tasted like a lightly baked baozhong, and this was very approachable and goes in my category of “Need to try again,” even my own small amount. If I did not already order a decent amount of teas…

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