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Oolong Tea by American Tea Room
Legend has it that Oriental Beauty was bestowed its poetic name by the Queen of England, but it is also known as Formosa White-Tipped Oolong, Bai Hao Oolong and a whole host of other names. The good news is that Oriental Beauty, by any other name, still tastes as sweet. This Taiwanese, dark oxidation (around 60 percent) oolong is comprised of large, cocoa-brown leaves spiked with feathery silver tips. It has bold aromas of stewed plums and bittersweet chocolate. Oriental Beauty’s liquor is deep copper, with aromas of bold tannins, black pepper and old-growth forest. The flavor reveals the appropriateness of its name: it is maple-sweet with hints of cinnamon, cardamom and baked walnut-stonefruit tart. The aftertaste is lingering and lightly astringent, with cardamom spiciness, and the second infusion is less astringent, earthier and more deeply spiced than the first.
Oolongs aren’t usually my thing, but Formosa oolongs have greeted me with quite a surprise. This is the second Bai Hao Oolong I’ve tried, although the first one I did was actually from China. Still confused about that. Anyway, it brewed up gold with a strong fruit presence that made it an absolute pleasure to imbibe. Not usually an oolong guy, but there are exceptions to the rule.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/07/review-american-tea-room-oriental-beauty-oolong-3/
I woke up early and spent some time looking through the tea bins. I didn’t set up the tea maker for this morning, so I was trying to find something that caught my fancy. When I came across this sample packet from American Tea Room, I thought, “Hm. It’s poufy, so the tea must be fluffy… and I just happen to be in a fluffy tea mood today.” (Sleep deprivation will do that to you.)
So, I took my fluffy tea and popped it into the Breville. I brought the temp down slightly from my normal oolong steeping temp. 190F(87C)/2.5 min.
The aroma that emanates from this tea is amazing! I can smell it as I lift it up. The taste is equally amazing. It’s as if I’ve added cane sugar to it, that kind of deep, syrupy sweetness that just fills your mouth. The oolong has a slightly woodsy taste to it. It’s nice, tasting a touch of cinnamon, but with fruitiness, too. I can’t quite pinpoint the fruit flavor, kind of like a very ripe lychee with maple syrup. All in all a complex and delicious fluffy tea.
