Formosa Oolong #8

I kind of forgot that I got the oolong sampler from Adagio, but rummaging through my samples today I realized that I have two left to try! I think I was a bit offput by the Darjeeling, which just wasn’t that great. But I had such an awesome experience with the Dancong I decided to dip into this tea today.

The leaves were really broken up, and didn’t look at all like an oolong. In fact it kind of reminded me of bagged tea—I don’t think it was squished during shipping, as my other 3 in the sampler have nice big leaves that open beautifully when brewed. Not really a great first impression, and it went downhill from there: this brewed up so dark and smelled like a mediocre black. It didn’t taste much better, and was missing the nuances of flavor I was hoping for. It was mostly woodsy, with a kind of unpleasant earthiness/ashiness. There’s a hint of that raisin flavor they say it’s supposed to have, but it was way too weak to really pick up on. I’m not sure why, but this brewed up really watery despite using two teaspoons for 8 ounces of water. If I didn’t know this was an oolong I would have guessed it was a low-quality Ceylon.

When it’s cooled the flavors are a bit better and you get a soft floral note, it’s actually not bad all! I’ll bump up the rating a bit for that, but it’s unfortunate that this tea is so unappetizing when hot.

I got this little sample along with my tasting cup.

I have had tea EXACTLY like this before. This tastes just like bagged yamamotoyama oolong. In fact, a lot of the leaves in this sample are crushed enough that I think it might literally be the exact same tea!

The scent of this is awesome! It smells like a soft leather chair. Actually, what it really smells like is the awesome barn that houses the vegetables for the local organic farm. They always have herbs drying from the rafters and I always try to place the scent. And, apparently, it smells like oolong tea :)
I gave the leaves a quick rinse first.
Once brewed the leaves were pretty – a lovely dark red-brown, like tobacco or something.
There’s an interesting scent (smoked cherry?) to the liquor. Also: dusty books and some kind of sweet almost salted caramel scent.
The flavor is slightly bitter in a good way. There is mild astringency, but I like it. The flavor isn’t much special compared to the scent (the scent is amazing though). It has the most amazing body – it’s so thick.
There is an after-taste of something toasted. Toasty and slightly bitter.

ETA: I did a second infusion. I did this one at 190 degrees for only 3 minutes. I think I was too harsh on it, following Adagio’s directions.
I’m getting a woodsy strawberry scent off this – the scent overall is fainter than the first infusion. I’m not picking up much else other than that vague fruitiness and smokiness.
The taste is rather floral – also a little biscuity. It’s nothing striking though.

I have a tooth ache… And that is awful. It is terrible that it hurts, but worst of all is knowing that tooth ache= unavoidable visit to the dentist. I am terrified of dentists, for no logical reason… So, to ease the pain and calm my nervousness, I made myself some tea!

I usually have a sweet tooth, sweetener in my tea and always hungry for dessert! But considering my tooth ache, I decided to go for unsweetened… Oolong was the perfect choice! I really love Oolongs, but usually only drink them if I have the time to drink through multiple infusions (I hate throwing away leaves that may not have the best part brewed out of them yet!)

The dry tea leaves were broken into many pieces… Lots of little bits of leaves and stems made me wary of what the result of brewing it may be. The smell was a bit woodier than I am used to my oolongs being. There was a hint of burnt caramel somewhere in the smell, and it was a good thing.

The first brew (3 mins) was just as woody as the tea smelled. It wasn’t an overwhelming taste, which was good. After a few sips I started tasting the caramel a bit and I was happy to find that it had a sweet finish and sweet aftertaste! The cup didn’t last long…

The second brew was a little less woody. It was lighter and the sweet and caramel taste took center stage. It took on a fruitier personality (Teasonality??? ; ) ). I think this brew was my favorite! I took my sips slowly enjoying the flavors that each one provided!

The third and last brew was similar to the second but definitely watered down. The flavors were weaker than I would like them to be. The initial woodiness was still there and the sweet flavor lingered at the end of every sip. Verdict= Second brew still the best…

So, in preparing my tea and writing about it, I have temporarily distracted myself from the throbbing reminder in my mouth that an impeding visit to the dentist was coming up… That makes this tea spectacular! haha…

All in all, it was a good oolong. Not one of the best I have tried, but I did enjoy drinking it. Not sure I will purchase it again. I will have to think that over after I have a cup without a tooth ache! Wish me luck at the dentist!

This tea had me worried. It brewed up exactly like the Formosa Bai Hao #40 with the unmistakable aroma of a salty peanut shell.

But as soon as I tasted it, I got a much sweeter liquor than expected with a buttery mouthfeel. It does have that nutty peanut shell taste in the background, but almost like it’s an afterthought.

It’s nice that the peanut shell is taking a backseat and letting other flavors come to the foreground. Not what I was expecting at all from that aroma!

By the way, I think what I call “salty peanut shell” is what others call “woodsy” or “earthy.” I keep seeing those descriptions pop up on these formosa oolongs, and I think that must be what I’m experiencing too. It’s just too pronounced to be overlooked. Woodsy. Hmmm…

Second steep yields a less woodsy but still deep, amber colored liquor. Third steep was the least woodsy and fairly bland.

Good, but still not the best oolong from Adagio’s Dragon Sampler. My favorite is definitely Wuyi Ensemble. Wuyi Ensemble has a much more classic oolong, vegetal taste and benefits the most from multiple infusions.

delicious, perfect, daily oolong. Definitely my favorite Adagio purchase so far.

As I was taught by a wonderful eccentric tea lady in my hometown, I usually steep oolongs for about a 1 min for the first time and make sure to take the tea out, then resteep at 1.30-2min for the second, 2.30-3min for the third, and you can definitely do that with this tea as well. One solid serving of loose-lease keeps me going for most of my evening. And definitely no milk or sweeteners needed!

1 1/2 tsp 8 oz.

This is the type of oolong I always loved to drink. To me, this style strikes the right balance between green and black for me to enjoy it in the late afternoon.

It has an earthy quality with only a hint of roasted flavor in the aftertaste.

The cup started out relatively smooth and sweet, though it developed a pretty strong astringency the more of it I drank. Definitely not bitter, though.

Should be noted that the leaves are really broken up in this tea. It is pretty sloppy looking.

I’ll be comparing this with the Harney and Sons in a few days.

First smell is roasted but the taste is quite mellow with a slight ashy/woodsy taste. Not as sweet as the bai ho oolong and I definitely did not let this one steep too long. Heavy smokiness starts to linger halfway through the cup, its like a baby lapsang but not as harsh.

In the pouch: Definitely a smoky thing going on, and woody. Make sure to take it out of the packaging and give it a good sniff because it’s subtle and you can mistake the smell of the package for the smell of the tea if you’re not careful.

In the cup: Smells like oolong, pretty much.

Taste: First steep, subtle and smoky, with added honey bringing out a floral note (that I hope was not just the honey flavor). Second steep, much more woody flavor coming out, a little more smoke. I agree with the reviewer who said it was like cinnamon stick with more emphasis on the stick.

On my tea tasting afternoon with Mrawlins2, we sampled this oolong. Good smell in the tin. Just ok taste in my cup. I think I now understand why alot of oolongs are flavored.

Not what I expect from an Oolong. Not bad, but very different.

This tea is extremely woody. I get cinnamon stick—less cinnamon and much more stick. Another taster noted cigar ash, and I can only agree. It’s not strong, it’s just woody—did I say that?

I suspect this would be very good iced and with some sort of BBQ. The wood just begs for BBQ.

The dark color and cigar-ash nose lead the drinker into believing he or she in for a more intense flavor experience as the impression left on the tongue is quite easy, albeit rather interesting.

What we taste is akin to light black tea with a very subtle pepperiness, muscatel sweetness and, yes, a cigar-ash smokiness threaded through the flavor profile in a not at all imposing or unpleasant way though, unlike most oolongs, I’ve found this to be good for only one steep.

I, for one, enjoy a good cigar in my tea.

At first I didn’t like this. Too woodsey, grassey. I resteeped it 3 times and enjoyed each infusion a little more. Not sure this will become part of my cupboard.

Surprisingly mellow flavor for how dark the color is and how strong the aroma is.

Got a sample and was sold on oolongs immediately. On the light side, green, and a bit sweet.

I agree with the Rebootable’s comments this being earthy and musky right off the bat. This is probably one of the darker colored Oolongs I have ever had. Once you take a sip it’s surprisingly lighter and smoother than I thought it would be. It’s still a bit woodsy but not nearly as much as I thought it would be. I think this is a very good Oolong.

Free sample tacked on to last order. <3

Dry leaves: a bit smaller that my other oolongs, dark brown and tan with leaves and stems, pleasantly rich and sweet aroma, like a well-loved cabin, subtle fruity notes.

Liquor: orange brown brew, mellowed from dry scent+touch of earth, touch of pipe tobacco. Moderately astringent, woodsy/musty overtones, faintly sweet. I think I will steep a bit longer (20-30 seconds longer)next time. As it cools it becomes richer and smoother.

A pretty nice dark oolong, could definitely see myself drinking this again, especially on a fall afternoon.

I got this tea as part of the Adagio Formosa Sampler. The first two teas in it, Pouchong and Jade Oolong were on the green side. This crosses the line to the black side of oolong. In fact, if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought this was a black tea. The package calls for it to be steeped in boiling water (I stopped short of that) and it steeped up a reddish brown—like a Ceylon or Darjeeling. The first steeping made me think of the Yunnan Dian Hong. It has that earthy flavor to it. Reviews I read described it as “woodsy” and “raisin-y” and I think that’s right. The second steeping is more mellow, reminiscent of cinnamon. It’s only a sample, which in a way is a shame, because I suspect it takes a bit getting used to, and for now I don’t think it’s going to bump Pouchong and Big Red Robe for go-to Oolong among the ones I’ve tried. But I certainly wouldn’t turn away from it if gifted or served to me. It’s a fine, very enjoyable tea—and without the mineral taste that I dislike in some oolongs—this would actually partner well with milk, which isn’t something I can say of other oolongs I’ve tried.

This is my first real oolong so any rating is purely subjective and based more on my experiences with my limited selection of mostly Yunnan Golden teas. It smells good, reminds me of fallen leaves. At just under boiling temperature, steeped under 3 minutes, I feel the taste is not quite as strong as I would like but it is still enjoyable. As my first oolong it is very hard to place the taste in context. It is an enjoyable cup of tea, yet it leaves me wanting more.

A very enjoyable dark oolong that is lighter and does not have any clear roasted notes. Overall a smooth rich taste that is slightly earthy and woodsy and at a very cheap price for oolong that does not equate low quality in this case.