Eight Immortals (Organic) 2008

I know that I will have to write more on this tea later. I have immensely enjoyed drinking this tea on what turned out to be a rather crazy day at the office. I honestly believe that the tea has kept me sane. This sample was sent to me by the wonderful Doulton and I can’t thank her enough. Thank you, thank you!!! Not only is this oolong absolutely lovely, the Seven Cups tea company is fantastic. I urge all of you oolong lovers to check out their website. www.sevencups.com – I honestly haven’t gotten very far into the site, I’ve been too overwhelmed and super excited about their oolong section. I love all of the details (harvest dates!) and origin notes that they include for each tea. They also host 14-15 day tours in China that are absolutely to die for. I know, I know…it’s one more tea company to bookmark. But you should do it!

Eight Immortals, besides having an ultra rad name, is very strong for an oolong. It tastes like a lightly roasted oolong…0% green tasting (which scores big points for me). The dry leaves look just like the picture, but once they steep and unfurl, I was surprised at how green they really were. The tea has a heavy and oily mouthfeel to it. (I think this is the first time I’ve ever typed the word “mouthfeel”. Maybe it’s just me, but the word strikes me as slightly perverse.) This is the first tea I’ve ever thought of as oily tasting. It’s a rather odd sensation. The tea is filling…almost like it is full of calories. I did not experience the strong floral smell that the description details. It just smelled oolong-y to me. All in all, Eight Immortals is an oolong for those who want their oolongs to taste like oolongs. I do not particularly detect any floral or bread-y notes. It’s almost like an oolong concentrate. I think this might be another contender for my Yixing pot. Yay!

Thanks again Doulton!

This is what I consider a pretty stereotypical oolong, with nice big dark green leaves, a sharpish flavor, and a nice smooth heavy texture. It isn’t as drying in the mouth as some oolongs, but that’s a plus as far as I’m concerned.

Though I consider it sacrileges (and I am an atheist except when it comes to tea), I followed Seven Cups instructions and poured just boiled water onto my tablespoon of leaves in my Yixing. It is a very oxidized oolong with long unraveled, ragged leaves. I waited a minute (per instructions) then poured the tea. Bronze liquor that is very aromatic but kind of hard for me to taste until I let it cool down considerably. Smell is very pleasing, but a little smoky. I don’t really get any strong flavors and for that, I wouldn’t repurchase it myself. It is a good tea, just not my “cup of tea”. :) You can get quite a few infusions from this, though – my third 12 ounce cup was similar to the first.

Other high end vendors have Ba Xian as (very expensive) single bush Dan Cong tea (from Phoenix mountain in Guan Dong province). Seven Cups describes the taste of this tea as “similar to Dan Cong,” but it is a Wu Yi tea or Yancha. I assume it’s the same varietal moved to a different location, but would appreciate any more info.

First tasting: Leaves fill 2/3 of my favorite Yancha pot. 185° to 190° water and steep 30 to 40 seconds. This yields a seriously good cup with immediate floral scents and the first taste of stone fruit — apricots maybe, but subtle. Lots of minerals, but no bitterness even this strong. After first impression, spices and mild roast tastes emerge. The tea seems highly oxidized to me — no green tastes — and lightly roasted.

Seven Cups is having a sale that makes this tea an insanely good deal! I believe this would be a great everyday tea for oolong lovers.