Mountain View Tea Village

Well that was pretty excellent.

The best pu-erh I’ve had so far. Generally I’ve found it to be overwhelming, fishy smell, etc. this pu-erh has none of those problems. Smooth and complex with some interesting flavours.

The colour of it is particularly striking, it’s very dark, like coffee. That’s pretty surprising given the comparatively lighter taste and lower caffeine levels. An interesting and nice cup. Enjoyed it!

Hollllllllllly craaaaaaaap this is amazing.

This is a fantastic, extremely rose heavy fragrant green oolong, it is totally awesome. I am generally a big rose fan (I love rose water, for example) so heads up that it’s pretty potent, but I thought it totally rocked. Great punch to it, and excellent flavour, really fantastic.

You know when you leave your favorite tea for other, more attractive, (pumpkin spice) flavored teas? You even put in cream. And honey. And you’re happy with them, because it’s fall, and it suits your mood. But then one day you get a new teapot in the mail and it tells you, “Hey. That tea and I were made for each other.” So you get out your old favorite, and it makes you swear off “corrupted” tea and junk food, too. At least for today. Maybe you’ll even do some yoga.

This tea brews easily and tastes fabulous after several steepings – squeeze every last drop of tea from it. And that first quick 30 second “rinse” steep – the one that some people dump? I drink it, too. I’ve really pushed what’s acceptable to do to oolongs, and it’s hard to mess this one up. The description mentions cinnamon notes, but I mostly get sweet sweet floral on my palate. Perhaps the “cinnamon” is the grounding flavor that keeps it from being perfume instead of tea. Some of the early infusions might have that delightful buttery feeling, too. The leaves themselves are packed densely, but don’t put off much of an aroma, but even that first pale cup just wafts deliciousness.

I got this package on a trip to Mt. View, and the teashop itself is just amazing. Canisters of teas both (tastefully) flavored and “pure” that the owners are practically giddy (but not pushy) about sharing a whiff of. Tables of yixing pots. Even some crazy flea market style antiques in the back. It’s a trip in itself just to visit for kicks.

This is a great tea for what I was seeking. I wanted a pu-erh that I could enjoy daily, and for me, that meant finding a good combination of flavor and quantity. The shop owner pointed me towards this tea, and I’ve now been drinking it for a few days.

I have started using two of the tou cha’s for a stronger steeping. I probably wouldn’t have to do this if I had more control over the temperature of the water at work. If you want to drink pu-erh on the daily, this is the one.

Contains quite a bit of stem which I think contributes a bit of a woody flavor. It may even contribute a bit to what the other person indicated was a smokey flavor. It is sweet, and what you would expect for an oolong.

I have so far done three infusions and it still holds flavor, which is nice. I don’t really notice anything super particular about this tea just yet – but I’m also drinking it as I work and am not providing a great deal of focus to my sipping.

A very interesting tea. I was seeking a stronger pu-erh and the owners recommended this one. Was a bit hesitant to buy a tea that was older than I am, but it turned out to be a great selection. Also the owner gave me a very ‘generous’ ounce :)

I think that the tea is great through 4 or so steepings, and does bring a rather earthy flavor that is also smooth and I might even say more relaxing than some of the other pu-erhs that I’ve had. I will go back to this tea for special occasions.

This is an oolong blend, even though it doesn’t quite say so on the Mountain View Tea Village site. I don’t really have a whole lot to say other than it lives up to its namesake. The taste, the scent (dry and wet), everything…it’s all peach. Kudos to the flavoring used.

Step two, in my in my CrAzY cOnCoCtIoN cOnVoRtInG
Added a half-pot of white tea. We can already forget about the ratios, by the way. It’s not 50-50, or 75-25. Probably somewhere inbetween.

So, I used some white tea. I realized that Ginger Pu Erh is probably a terrible base, but whatchagonnado? I figured white tea would be a nice way to settle it out a bit – to be honest, White and Pu Erh taste kind of similar to me.
Insofar, I like how it tastes. The kick of the Ging. P. is much milder, but it’s still holding out in there. It’s kind of a high note against the low overtones of white and Pu Erh’s earthiness.
I let this refrigerate “overnight”, a period in which I did not sleep. I’ve been running 12-hour sleep sessions the past couple of days, and when that happens my body forces me into a roughly 30-hour waking binge to get me back into a normal swing. I realized this was happening after spending two hours trying to sleep.
I have a trivial story I feel like telling, so here it goes:
I went to an all-night diner at one point, to do some writing. When I got out, I noticed a s**t ton of smoke coming from nearby, (this was around 5AM), and I was like “Adventure!” So i got in my car, and went off to follow it, ‘cause "where there’s smoke, there’s fire."
Turns out, I was right.
Turns out, it was real close.
Turns out, it was an elementary school.
At least it’s summer vacation, right?
On the bright side, the event fits well into the autobiographical story I’m writing right now, so it’s not a total loss. That sounds terrible.
It was probably vandalism.
Happy 5th of July.

THANK YOU to Suzi for sending me a sample of this Oolong! I have wanted to try it ever since I saw your tasting note on it.

The aroma of the dry leaf is quite as I wanted it to smell (but my expectations were not quite as high because I have not had teas from this vendor before so I was not sure exactly what to expect!) – so I was thrilled to open the tin and smell ROSES! Very fragrant – perhaps the most fragrant rose tea I’ve ever encountered.

Ah… this is really… really GOOD! I love rose teas (In fact I can’t think of a flower tea that I’ve disliked … I am sure there has probably been at least one, but none come to mind)… and this is absolutely a ROSE Oolong. No mistaking it.

Sweet, fragrant and delicious!

The next time I brew this tea I shall do so properly – with my gaiwan! That is not to say that using the smart tea maker is not a good way to brew it – it is… but it just feels more REGAL when I use my gaiwan… and this tea is absolutely suited for regal treatment.

Multiple infusions will follow!

Ah, Rose Green Oolong.
You make me feel like a princess!

The tea is so strongly scented that the smell of rose petals fills the entire kitchen. It’s lovely. Perfect for springtime. It kinda makes me think I should be wearing something pink, or sparkly, or at the very least a floral 1950s housewife dress.

Anyway. Definitely one of the nicer teas I own. Light, refreshing, delicate, rosy. I really don’t know what else to say about it, and besides, I have to go do something girly now like give myself a pedicure while wearing an avacado face mask.

Ciao.

Well, I needed more green oolong for seasoning my teapot. So, I bought the least expensive one the shop had – $12 for an ounce or two.

Eh… not my favorite oolong ever. I generally like green oolongs, but this one could handle a bit more oxidization. If Japan made an oolong, I have a feeling it would taste like this – it had vegetal notes very similar to the Japanese greens. Though, I would distinguish that the flavor was more of a gentle gyokuro or shin-cha than your everyday sencha. I suppose that’s an interesting flavor to find in an oolong.
I’d say this tea is much more on the green side when it comes to imperfect brewing – rather than just getting stronger and bitter, the tea became more stingy and unpleasant. Honestly, I’m much more a fan of the darker oolongs.

I’d relate this tea to wanting to hang out with a male buddy, but getting his feminine side. You’re expecting a broad, easy-going chill session, but you end up dealing with a pain-staking, sensitive personality-type. Eh.

By the time I got to the fourth brew, it was mellowed out a bit, but… by that time I was more or less done with the tea session. Oh well. Maybe I’ll learn to like it with time.

The tea looks like little rolled-up balls of oolong leaf, with the occasional rosebud mixed in. When I sniffed it in the store, I couldn’t detect the rose but my boyfriend claimed it was dead-on, so I bought it. ($12.99 for 2 oz seemed pretty pricey, but the owner of MV Tea Village was so sweet that I wanted to get something.) The owner emphasized that the teas he carries come from higher altitudes, away from the pollution. So that’s cool.

The brew is light and refreshing. To my delight, it smells like a freshly-cut pink rose. The taste is also quite rose-y, but a little green, too. Drinking this makes me feel like a fairy princess sipping flower nectar or something equally girly.

Followed my Bi Lou Chun with this, after a hearty bike ride to get more purified water (I don’t trust the taps in the dorms, even after a run through my brita, for my finer teas.) It was a rough journey indeed – peddling uphill against a strong wind to get to the convenience store, it was like treading water. Ah, the things I do for a good cup of tea!
Well, it was worth it. I’ve had this tea for about two or three months, and I finally got to open it. While Darjeeling teas are splendid, I’ve always been more enchanted with Yunnan’s offerings. What a wonderful infusion!
The leaves, as the name implies, were abundant with golden tips, and the infusion… golden is the only word I can think of to describe the hue and chroma of my first decanter-full. While I rarely use a gaiwan tea set for a black tea, being prone more to a tetsubin tea press my sister gave me, this is a very exquisite leaf, and I wouldn’t think of brewing it in anything but small proportions. I didn’t count the infusions, but this tea held its own through them all.
It’s perhaps a bit expensive, at $16 for two ounces, but definitely worth it. While you can get 2-4 times as much tea for your dollar at some places, if I had just sixteen bucks, I’d go for this quality over quantity any day, even if I were tea-starved.

Well, this tea is especially exquisite, a first-place competition grade tea. Definitely one of, if not the finest green tea I’ve experienced. While I’m not too much of a green tea enthusiast, as my tastes lay more in the realm of the broad boldness of Oolongs rather than the more piquant flavor of its less oxidized cousin, there’s nothing I don’t adore about this tea. A very full flavor, while remaining light – airy rather than watery, if you get what I’m saying. Not astringent, very mellow, and… well, I have little more to say. It’s one of those teas you don’t just enjoy, you completely embrace it, and it affects you with tea’s intoxication. Simply, Elegance (with the capital ‘E’) in a cup.

So, I tried this with good water now – the Goddess was in better spirits.
Though, admittedly, the liquor had less of a gorgeous hue… maybe there’s some balance in water hardness to be found, when I have the resources to experiment with that.
My first infusion was light… delicate. I think I understeeped it. Or, perhaps, I had the right steep time, but not enough leaf. The flavor just wasn’t strong enough.
The next time, I used a bit hotter water, and purposefully oversteeped it. It came out bitter – perfect. I’ve always been a fan of hard oolong. The first sip always kicks you, and the drink will be harsher, but it’s much… bolder experience.
And, eh, call me a cynic, but I like my oolong bitter for a reason.

I went digging through a collection of tea quotes, Tea Wisdom, to find this one, because I think it gives a good insight into my love of “ruining” darker oolongs. (I usually brew the Green ones properly.)
“There is no single recipe for making good tea, as there are no rules for producing a Titian or Session.” – Kakuzo Okakura
Perhaps I misconstrue that statement, or take it out of context. But those are the words, and I’ll infer them as I will. Oolong, of the four major types, is the only one, as I see it, that can handle harsh astringency. I think there’s a reason for that.

So, I slept in late today – somehow my alarm didn’t wake me. Got up around noon – strike that, 12 exactly, I checked the time. I was an hour late for my class, so I didn’t bother going.
After wasting some time online, I felt like tea, and I thought about the unopened two ounces of Competition grade (3rd place) TKY in the tea cupboard.
So, the Iron Goddess and I sat down for a conversation, of the Gong Fu persuasion. She was a little touchy – I think the water was bad. I didn’t realize I had bought purified water that was “enhanced with minerals”. Left a bit of a sour taste in mouth.

Wonderful tea, though. The instant I added the water, her fragrances were apparent. If I may so compare the leaves and liquor to the goddess’ eyes, as I feel, poetically, not only effective but necessary – the darkness of the roast made of the tight-rolled leaves intense, black pupils, and the round iris in my decanter was the most gorgeous liquid amber I’ve seen.

ahem Purple prose aside, I think I initially approached this tea in the wrong frame of mind. I’ve been taking in finer Formosan teas for a while now, so I believe I’ve conditioned my tongue towards greener oolongs. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a TKY – the cheap one I had the other day doesn’t count.
So, upon drinking this, I noticed the lack of smooth after-nuance, and forgot to appreciate the boldness of darker oolongs. After an infusion or two, I started using hotter water, and bracing myself for the kick. Much better.
But still, I think my bad water left the tea with something to desire. I’ll go out tonight and by some clean water, and try her again.
Aside from that detail, the quality of this tea was undeniable. I can tell that simply by the feeling it gave me. I found myself floating a little in reminiscence of the beginning of my tea exploration. Back when tea was little more than a choice from Peet’s selection of oolongs (all of three teas), steeped indefinitely in a white beehouse teapot, and then served through a sake set from a San Francisco flea market. But I digress.

Being as Merciful as she is, the Iron Goddess let me finish off with a nice brew or two before I had to bike off to Sociology. I need to get back into darker oolongs – definitely a must for next time I visit China town. I used to be an addict to the kick of dark oolong! What’s become of me? Sheesh.

Normally one of my favorites, but tonight was a little different.
I take the blame for this one, it was my own steeping that ruined it. But I learned something: while this tea can handle longer brew times, it shouldn’t be steeped indefinitely.

I got home from hanging out with my sister and her friend, and decided to brew myself the last of my Dragon Bone, (mostly because it opened up a tin for an awaiting tea).
Turns out I forgot about it, and left it on my desk.
So, a five hour nap later…

The liquor is REALLY dark…like, black, almost. The taste is unpleasant – harsh, with a sour finish. I only took a few sips before pouring it out. It made me feel gross.

So, lesson of the day:
Don’t hot-brew a tea, even one that is almost entirely stems, for five or six hours. Seriously.

No notes yet.

A very unique tea – it’s almost all stems. From what I could understand through the accent of the woman selling it to me, they’re prepared Ti Kwan Yin style.
While it lacks some of the nuance of Oolong leaves, it’s very bold, well balanced, and has that dark-Oolong taste that I personally love. A bright, strong orangish liquor, and can hold out through a number of infusions.

I’m not sure if this tea has an alternate name, or where else it’s available. I found it in a large tea shop run by an elderly Chinese couple, in Mountain View, on Castro street.

4/22: Part of tea tasting. I used a gaiwain, serving/infuser pot, and four ceramic tasting cups.

Prepped in a ceramic gaiwan that holds 6 oz. Multi-colored leaves, from white to orange/red, to dark brown. Dry leaves have spicey,floral smell. Steeped 2 generous pinches, enough to coat the bottom of the gaiwan for 3 minutes. Leaves are large so a tea scoop would work too. The dark amber brew is sweet, with hints of cinnamon, citrus flavors round out the aftertaste.

Days 3 and 4, Calendar dates 4/16-4/17. Raised temperature of the water to 210 and 215 respectively. Steeped 10 and 12 minutes respectively using the same 12 oz yixing cup. Tea still holds its taste after 4 days, just altering brewing process.

Day 2, Raised temperature of the water by and the steeping time, for infusions 3 and 4.
Brews were still very smooth.

Prepared tea in a yixing infuser cup (12 oz), drank 2 infusions. Looking at the dry leaves you would never think that this green tea, aged but still green tea. The brew is dark and very smooth. Taste is smoky,earthy. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.