519 China Zhongshan Baiye Oolong [HOME]
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Reviewer: A tea Drinker, CHICAGO ,IL
January 07, 2009
I was floored by this oolong. As soon as I opened the bag I knew I was in for a treat. It looks more like a green with long dark spindles, but the odor is unmistakably oolong: rich apple/peach with hints of jasmine. I brew this gong fu style in a small pot and love the way the notes change infusion after infusion. This tea has a very strong character that may not be for everyone but if you like a non-smoky oolong with a lot of personality, I would give this a try.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, Holland ,PA
April 09, 2008
I believe this is a "snow orchid" Dan Cong oolong. Very nice, smooth with lots of character. Brewing details seem to matter. When I first brewed this tea I used a porcelain pot with water just off the boil and got friuty flavors with the chocolatey background. When I used my little gong fu pot with water at a similar temperature I got the peachy-pear flavors I associate with a snow orchid oolong. Interesting tea.
Reviewer: Tim , Baynes , Saddlebrooke ,MO
February 14, 2008
I'm going to have to give this tea 5 stars. It's beautiful, refined, exotic and complex, not to mention very tasty. The appearance alone indicates premium quality. Huge dark leaves are uniform and visually striking. In that respect, it would make an impressive gift for someone who could appreciate it. The taste is slightly astringent first of all (both in the smell of the dry tea as well as the smell/taste of the finished liquor). And there is lots of spice here -- nutmeg/cinnamon tones. And also fruit - apples/pears mostly but some citrus as well that is set off by the astringency. Brewing is as the label indicates, except that since the leaves are so huge you have to be careful about the measuring. Three infusions works for me - the taste trails off after that but the leaves take three infusions before they really open up. I love this tea. I could sit with an open tin and just look at and smell the dry tea, except that drinking it is even better. It's a rare treat, and I hope it continues to be made for another 700 years.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, Gaston ,OR
October 18, 2007
This tea is outstanding! It is toasty, chocolaty, and delicious! Definitely worth trying.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, Winn.,, IL
August 30, 2007
This is quite possibly the most unique Oolong tea that I have sampled and I will be ordering more. I think that it's multidimentional quality explains the variance of descriptions from previous reviewers. My experience; The huge, black, wiry leaves produce an amber cup that fills the air with it's woody, chocolately, fruity, toasty aroma. I detected zero bitterness and look forward to brewing my next pot. If this tea is an acquired taste -- I acquired it with my first cupful.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, Pittsburgh ,PA
July 19, 2007
My initial impression was a fairly standard oolong-y flavor, but more complex than some others I've tried. Once the cup cools a little, the floral notes start to come out, and there's a faintly chocolatey background. Very satisfying.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, Vestal ,NY
November 13, 2006
This tea is outstanding! It is by far the most complex tea I've tried, though I generally don't drink tea costing over $25/quarter pound. There are notes of wood, smoke, cinnamon, metal, fruit, and more. This is not a "delicious" or sweet tea like some other China oolongs, for example the SpecialTeas Tie Quan Yin. However, it has a considerable charm of its own. There is no astringency if prepared correctly. Also, it yields many infusions - I consistently get at least 8-9 good ones by preparing it gongfu style.
Reviewer: A tea Drinker, EL PASO ,TX
August 26, 2006
It's hard to believe this is an oolong; it's so rich and full bodied. The aroma is distinctly chocolatey / toasty. The flavor is toasty chocolate malt with a very pleasant fruity finish that seems to fade as the tea sits in the cup. There is absolutely no bitterness or astringency and it's good for multiple brews although the fruity finish fades after the first brew. The directions say not to use boiling water, but I see no benefit to backing off on the water temperature--I prefer a full boil. This tea would be great with desserts. Yum. Quite a tasty tea!
Reviewer: Greg , Ball , San Francisco ,CA
January 25, 2006
good toasty oolong. A bit fruity. Not at all fussy to brew.
Reviewer: michael dube,
This tea RULES! If you like Da Hong Pao or Fenghuang Dancong you will like this tea, which is almost indistiguishable from the former (to me) except you need to steep it for a much shorter period of time. Has that characteristic almost-metallic tang to it. The directions on the package are right on, 1-1.5 mins.
Reviewer: Dean,
Very floral, almost jasmine-like, with a nutty coconut finish. I'm relatively new to oolongs - this tea is a revelation. The amounts and times are right, but I went to 2.5 minutes for the second infusion.
Reviewer: Steve D.,
I've gone through 2 pounds of this tea. It stands up to spicy hot Thai food very well.
Reviewer: Jean from Boston,
This tea is woodsy and fruity. Let it cool down before you sip it so you can really taste the different flavors. The perfect tea to drink on a cool autumn morning. Delicious.
Reviewer: A Tea Drinker,
This tea is very different, hard to describe, strange aroma, strange taste, I have mixed feelings about it, I am developing a love-hate relationship with it, the brew smells like burned matches and the taste is...........I don't know, strange.The aftertaste is strange, woodsy but not unpleasant. I am looking forward to my next cup to see what else I can uncover.....
Reviewer: A tea drinker,
I LOVE THIS TEA! Don't buy it because I am going to be left without it!
Reviewer: Jeff from Montana,
All I can say is, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewer: Anne from Vancouver,
This tea is a delicate treat and most assuredly an acquired taste. Not for the faint of heart................
