Charcoal Roasted High Mountain Oolong (Tanpei)

I think this is a masterful job of roasted oolong in that the roast is very slight. Don’t get me wrong, heavily roasted, charcoal-y oolongs are some of my favorites. However, this one was done I think with an eye on balance. It sits right in that in between space where every sip I’m left wondering what I tasted more: the roast or the florals.

Where you DO get a lot of the charcoal is on the scent of the brewed/wet leaves. Smells delightful.

No matter which way this tea leans, it carries with it a creamy nuttiness that I adore. Very smooth and tasty.

Now on the second steep, more of the roasted flavors become a bit more dominant. I’m interested to see if this swings back to more floral after a few more steeps.

After about 6 steeps, I should say that this tea does end up tipping into the more roasted column. Which is A-ok with me. But it isn’t too heavy handed. A really solid tea overall.

This tea is a bit more complex than what I’ve experienced before. I don’t much care for the floral scents of regular high mountain oolongs, but I love the mouthfeel and other subtleties. This tea has those qualities without the perfumed flavor. The initial steep has a delicious charcoal note without any smokiness. This gives way to a creamy, roasted nut, rice, and milk taste with a muted floral note. As the leaves unfurl there is a stronger flavor of rice that comes out with a slight astringency.