Autumn Hearth

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Alishan High Mt. Oolong Tea from FONG MONG TEA

Autumn Hearth drank Alishan High Mt. Oolong Tea by FONG MONG TEA

I had to try this one as well yesterday, my first Alishan, thank you so much Fong Mong Tea! First an interesting observation. I found that I didn’t get much aroma from the leaf while it was in the bag, but as soon as I poured the dry leaf into my pre-warmed mug it came to life, so green and vibrant! I shall just copy & paste my notes from my phone from yesterday when Steepster was down:

This is oolong? Well of course it looks like oolong, little green fists, but the smell is just so green, and the taste, scandalous. There is no floral here, no orchid, no earth no wood, just crisp green goodness and a hint of nuttiness. I would swear this was a green tea in a blind tasting and a delicious one at that!

Second steep, still very green but richer, deeper, beany, and a hint of butter! Mmm and just a tinge of savory, yet in later sips still dark, cool and sweet. In later steeps the green mellowed out and this tasted more like a Tie Guan Yin. Still very exciting, I think I shall pursue more Alishans, this was a great introduction thank you!

2012-06-07 14:26:59 -0400

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Druid, artist, poet, mum, lover of tea, ritual and myth. I grew up on Celestial Seasons herbals but fell in love with straight loose leaf tea working at my local Teavana for a year. I am grateful for the introduction and the experience, but have moved on.

I see tea as an experience for the senses, I like to imagine tasting the land and the weather as well as the effect of sun, air, fire and the human hand. I have a soft spot for shu pu’er, yabao, scented oolongs, wuyi oolongs, taiwanese tea as well as smooth naturally sweet blacks, creamy greens and surprisingly complex whites.

I began ordering lots of samples from Upton to educate myself on different varieties of tea we didn’t have at work and have fallen head over heels for the unique offerings from Verdant Tea. I am learning things I like: buttery mouthfeel, surprising sweet or spice notes, woodiness, mineral notes, depth and complexity and things I don’t: astringency, dry and sour notes.

I collect tea tins and am in danger of collecting pots, though I am trying to restrain the urge due to current lack of space. I brew mostly in a glass infuser mug or a tea maker, only using cast-iron for company now (still need to get a gaiwan) and tend not to sweeten my teas unless they are British or fruity and iced, which is not often.

As far as ratings, I lack a definite system and haven’t been assigning numbers lately, wanting to spend multiple sessions with a tea first. I usually only log a tea once, unless it is a new harvest or I have significantly different observations, but will go back and edit or comment if I find something interesting or new.