Iron Goddess, Caramel Roast - Anxi Oolong

I think I got this from Lindsay? I’m not sure. sorry! Well, anyway, I got this maybe a month or so ago and I never got around to trying it. Something about roasted oolongs are a turn off for me. I know that all oolongs are pretty much roasted or cooked or something, but the ones that promote roastyness…I dunnoooo. I like my oolongs green and fresh. So yeah, I was a bit nervous. But then, I was asked for this in a swap and I figured I’d better try it before I get rid of it. :)

I make myself a small tasting sized pot of this and hmmm…it’s not bad. It’s not as green as I prefer my oolongs but still, it’s got a bit of a honeyed note along with more traditional ti guan yin flavors. Quite good in fact. I probably wouldn’t buy it myself, but it’s good enough to enjoy. The second infusion is so average tasting though. There’s some creaminess in there, but I’m not sure if that’s left over from the coconut pouchong I was sipping earlier.

In any case, good experience!

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve been drinking tea all morning without a bit of food in my stomach…

Thank you Mercuryhime for sharing with me! Well its okay … I can slightly taste the caramel in it – its not strong but it is there. It is also just okay as an oolong. The roasting is nicely done but it has a bit of a watery taste. I used plenty of leaf to water ratio. I think this could be an absolutely excellent tea if they worked it out a little. I am glad I got to try it!

I also brewed this in the Gaiwan. The aroma of the brewed tea hit me as soon as I took the lid off. This is very different. Mouth coating and numbing. I cannot place the flavor. Caramel, no. There will be future experiments with this one including a cold brew. I am getting a slight seaweed ocean taste at the bottom of the cup….

This is my first Tie Kuan Yin that has been more traditional (as in, more roasted). I had to try this sample that David gave me first because it smelled just like caramel _ And I don’t even like caramel! The taste is quite different from the smell, but I’m still amazed at how nice and smooth this tea is. Truly excellent.

Well the Asha Tea house included this as a sample with my order last week. Overall it was a nice balance between a roasted oolong and and vegetal one. I guess by the smell of the dry leaf I was expecting more of a charcoal flavor. I used 4.5 grams and followed the brewing instructions on the package. The color of the liquor was a light green and the flavor was more floral.
After drinking it my mouth was a little dry….

Oh boy I think I messed this one up. I can’t find a single caramel note, only…fishiness? 30 sec in a gaiwan, 250ml, 2 tsps, no rinse. Maybe I should have rinsed…