So it seems Teavana has changed this blend a few times in recent years. The combination described on this page with the Monkey Picked Oolong (Tieguanyin) is one I’ve been making myself for about a year, blending by the serving, not mixing a tin at a time. If I am feeling particularly patient I will start steeping the white and oolong first and add the green in the last 30 secs.
However Teavana only started using their Monkey Picked Oolong for this blend in late fall of 2011. What I have at home in a tin is the previous incarnation with Phoenix Mountain Dang Cong and while I have recently come to appreciate Dan Congs, I do not like this blend. The Gyokuro and the Dan Cong seem to be battling each other and while Gyokuro dominates the taste, they really bring out the worst in each other and plenty of astringency (and I’ve gotten very good at brewing Gyokuro so i don’t think its me).
Curiouser still, the ingredients list toward the bottom of Teavana’s page of this blend lists Eastern Beauty (which is now only available in a gift set) as the oolong, interesting, though not sure if it’s interesting enough to use my last serving this delicious Formosa to try it out.
In the end I think Monkey Picked works better than Phoenix Mountain but I really have come to prefer just pairing Gyokuro with Silver Needle, it seems fresher that way, maybe their new Thai Mountain Oolong would be a better option, it’s fresh, slightly creamy and has more of a wildflower than orchid flavor. May have to try that out next time I visit.
