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The Zhu Lu Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is a pleasant, standard, everyday quality Taiwanese oolong. It has the classic floral and sweet characters in the aroma and taste that Taiwanese oolongs are known for. The number of quality infusions from this tea were very respectable. Check out my full review at https://teajourneyman.wordpress.com/

The dry leaves have a uniform faded black color, with the small stems having a copper color. There are a few stems in the mix. The leaves are mostly medium sized fragments, and are neatly rolled. There are maybe two or three very small golden tips, but they appear to be tip fragments. The leaves break cleanly, with very little crumbling. The aroma has scents of raw cacao, earth, leather, and valley flowers. The aroma was definitely intriguing, and I will be interested to reopen the sample pack to see if I pick up the same scents.

The first infusion produced a liquor with a bright golden orange color, perfectly clear and transparent. The aroma has scents of caramel, light wood, dandelion, and black pepper. The body is medium-full, with a lively texture, and immediately sends a surge of energy through the body. The taste has notes of caramel, daisy, light rose, light wood, and light lemon. There is a nice and moderate astringency. The aftertaste is sweet and slightly lemony.

This FOP Supreme Black Tea is a nicely balanced black tea, providing a sweet, floral, and woodsy aroma and taste, which compliments the moderate astringency very well. There is no need to add lemon to this tea, as it has a natural lemony character at the back of the tongue and persists through the aftertaste. Although milk is not necessary with the 3:00 minute infusion time, adding another minute will produce a strong enough tea that a splash of milk will compliment quite nicely. This tea gave a boost of energy and awareness literally from the first sip, and makes for a great morning to early afternoon tea. The second infusion is lighter overall, but is quite refreshing. If you like Ceylon tea, give the teas of Craigmore Plantations a try. They are different, yet provide the same lively mouth feel. This would also make a great cold brew, or would be very refreshing iced.

The dry leaves have a light yellowish-green color, with delicate downy-like hairs covering them. The leaves have the typical sickle shape. The pluck is one fine leaf and unopened bud. The buds are fairly short and slender, with the average bud measuring 0.5 to 0.75 inches (12 – 19 mm). There leaves have a smooth, soft texture. Most buds are whole and unbroken. The aroma of the leaves is quite unique, with scents of cocoa, sweet hay, and light dried fruit.

The first infusion produced a liquor with a light pale golden-yellow color, clear and transparent. The aroma has scents of flowers, sweet hay, and light spice. The body is light-medium, with a gentle texture. The taste is fairly delicate, and has notes of flowers, sweet hay, and light spice. The aftertaste has hay and floral notes, and there seems to be slight touch of cocoa that develops.

The dry leaves have a range of colors from light green to reddish brown to black. The leaves are all small to medium sized fragments. There are some bare stems in the mix. The leaves are rolled. There are a few silver tips in the mix. The aroma is quite sweet, with scents of muscat grapes, cocoa, and roses.

The infusion produced a liquor with a bright golden color with an orange tint, clear and transparent. There were some fine particles. The aroma had scents of muscat grapes, roses, and light wood. The body is medium, with a lively and clean texture, and an uplifting energy. The taste had notes of muscat grapes, roses, light wood, and light spice. The aftertaste is floral, and a flowery essence is left on the breath.

A semi-ball oolong from the Lam Dong province of Vietnam. On the lighter side of the oxidation scale. The dry leaves have dominant scents of brown sugar and cinnamon. The liquor has a bright color, a medium body, and a creamy, velvety texture. The aroma and taste combine light brown sugar, light sweet cream, light floral, light citrus, and very light green vegetable notes. The leaves provided four infusions, and time permitting could have provided at least one to two additional infusions.

Overall, a respectable oolong tea, but not quite at the level of Taiwan, China, or even Thailand. Definitely worth a try, if for no other reason than to experience the quality of oolong teas that come from Vietnam.

This well known style of wulong tea from the Wu Yi Mountains appears similar to a more commonly known Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Wulong. However, the Rou Gui is quite different. The difference starts in the tea bush cultivar itself, as Rou Gui is not just the finished tea product, but also the name of the tea bush cultivar. Due to the aroma and taste notes of cinnamon or cassia bark, the name Rue Gui was given to the tea bush cultivar. There is no cinnamon or other flavorings or spices add to these tea leaves.

The color of the liquor is initially a rather dark shade of reddish-brown. The aroma has easily recognizable scents of cinnamon or cassia bark, along with a light molasses hint. The body is medium, and the texture is quite silky. The taste also has notes of cinnamon or cassia bark, very light molasses, and a light floral undertone. The aftertaste is initially sweet, and slowly morphs into a flowery essence.

I got four solid infusions out of the leaves. The second through fourth infusions began developing a mineral note in the taste, which balanced quite nicely with the other tastes.

Can I call this an instant favorite? No, probably not, but it is certainly an enjoyable and respectable tea. If you enjoy Da Hong Pao Wulong, give a good quality Rou Gui a try. I think you will find some of the qualities that you like in the Da Hong Pao, combined with some different tastes and aromas.

This orthodox Assam black tea embodies all of the beauty of Assam black teas. There is a generous portion of golden tips. The dry leaves have a sweet aroma of cocoa, malt, dried fruits, and wood. The liquor has a deep red color, with a moderate “cream down” effect visible in the first infusion. The aroma of the liquor is bold, with scents of malt, wood, and roses. The body is full, with a smooth texture. The taste fills the mouth with a fairly powerful astringency, and notes of malt, citrus, wood, and light roses. This Assam black tea will wake you up in the morning!

When I am in the mood for a classic Ceylon black tea, the Uva Greenland OP1 is my first choice. This is a mid-altitude grown Ceylon black tea, therefore it combines some of the floral characters of the high-grown Ceylon teas with some of the malty characters of the low-grown Ceylon tea. Of course, the refreshingly brisk character and bright liquor color that Ceylon black teas are known for is most certainly present, as well.

Perhaps the first thing that one may notice about the dry leaves of the Uva Greenland OP1 is the incredibly fresh appearance and aroma. This tea was harvested and manufactured and immediately shipped to my door from the Uva Halpewatte Factory. The dry leaves have welcoming scents of cocoa, malt, and flowers.

The liquor is bright, clean, and fragrant, with scents of citrus, light malt, and flowers. The body is medium, with a brisk character. The taste has notes of light malt, flowers, and light citrus.

This classic tea can be enjoyed by casual tea drinkers and enthusiasts alike. With or without additives, this is an aromatic and flavorful tea that will prove to be a reliable source of daily tea drinking pleasure.

Many tea enthusiasts have tried the very popular Pouchong oolong teas from northern Taiwan, but how many have tried the black style that is currently being produced at PT Harendong Green Farm located in the Halimum Mountains of Indonesia? If you have not tried it yet, I implore you to do so.

The aroma of the dry leaves is very fragrant, with sweet, spicy, and woody scents. The liquor is colorful with a clean brightness to it. The aroma of the liquor has scents of baked apple, cinnamon, brown sugar, and wood. The taste is crisp and satisfying, with a nice balance of light green apple, lemon, spice, and mineral. There is also a nice brisk character, and an unusually sweet aftertaste.

If you are looking for a break from the typical black teas of Sri Lanka, China, or India, give the Indonesia Pouchong Black a try. It will rejuvenate your passion for black tea.

The second that the aroma of the Amba Estate Hand Rolled OP1 hit my olfactory glands, there was an immediate passion developed. Because of my love of this tea, and my belief that this is the best black tea coming out of Sri Lanka, I decided to import it and offer through The Tea Journeyman Shop.

Compare this Amba Estate OP1 to other high quality OP1 black teas out of Sri Lanka, and prepare to be amazed with the differences among them. The dry leaves are long and leggy, with plenty of golden tips. The aroma of the dry leaves is full and robust.

The liquor has the typical bright Ceylon black tea color, yet has a touch of depth that can be attributed to the hybrid bushes of Camellia Sinensis Sinensis and Assamica. The aroma is sweet, fruity, and minty. The body is full, with a brisk mouthfeel. The taste is a perfect combination of Ceylon and Assam, with notes of citrus, malt, toffee, papaya, and mint.

Another sign of the Amba Estate OP1’s superiority to other Ceylon black teas is the fact that you may used the leaves three or more times and still get amazing quality infusions. I challenge you to find me a Ceylon black tea that can match the Amba Estate OP1 in consistency of color, aroma, and flavor through multiple infusions. Believe me, I love being wrong, and I love Ceylon teas, so please present a challenge. :-)