Monkey-Picked Oolong

After wanting this tea for about 8 months I finally broke down and bought it over the weekend. I’ve really enjoyed the same teaspoon of tea leaves for 5 steeps so far over yesterday and today. I almost never resteep with flavored or blended teas, so I’m really impressed with the longevity of these leaves. I’ve tried it plain hot, iced, sweetened with rock sugar, and sweetened with a touch of honey. It’s enjoyable every which way. I don’t think this is one I will buy bucketfulls of, but enjoy slowly, and when it’s done I think I might try another variety of straight oolong to compare/contrast.

This oolong is totallllly average. And I hate that they call it “monkey picked”. The price is so high and the quality is just bad.

This oolong is among my favorite teas. I love green oolongs! I had this one several years ago and was recently gifted with some more. It has a lovely “orchid” complex floral taste and aroma with a wee hint of fruitiness. The first steeping has somewhat of a green vegetal flavor. I don’t remember that from the last batch i had. This green vegetal taste is pretty much gone by the second steeping and this is where I most notice the rich, full mouth feel. It’s a tea devoid of bitterness. It reminds me of Rishi’s Jade Oolong, but the smooth mouthfeel is more pronounced in this Monkey Picked. I’ve read that Monkey Picked is the same as Tieguanyin. That may be, but i always thought Tieguanyin was more baked or lightly roasted and i taste no roasted flavor in this tea. The tea liquid is a delicate light jade green. Lovely for multiple infusions — which takes some of the edge off the hefty price. I could drink this all day (and some days I do).

This lighter green side of oolongs reminds me a lot of pouchong. I got this as a gift from a good friend because I would never pay the 25 dollars for 2 ounces, thats just insane. Its a nice reliable green oolong.

Creamy and buttery like many TGYs with a light vegetal aftertaste. Of the number of times I’ve had this tea, I’ve never really tasted any complex floral qualities that one notices in a high-quality Iron Goddess of Mercy.

This tea is good and will last for a couple infusions, but it is overpriced. If you want to have a delicious, complex TGY, check out Verdant Tea’s Spring batch (you’ll also save about $10). If you’re REALLY looking to buy some cheap Iron Goddess you could grab some very decently priced ones at Upton Teas and still get a taste as good as Teavana’s.

Still, this is a good tea. Just a bit overpriced for the quality.

Buttery and earth comes to mind when taking my first sip of this wonderful tea! A little on the pricey side, but your paying for quality. The leaves open up when steeped making a beautiful and extravagant bouquet. I recommend this tea for any tea lovers.

A friend sent this to me after I sent her a sizable package of teas. I seriously had to clean my tea cupboard, and I was rewarded very nicely with this tea. It was a little buttery to me, and that’s such a good thing. I am onto my 4th rebrew.

I really liked trying this as a sample at the store, I just didn’t want to buy it since the the sales lady was watching me like a hawk from each place I took a sample. I might take the advice from others and try this tea from another provider, since it’s on the expensive side. Aside from that, still a nice oolong. I am new in the world of oolongs, but I really like this kind.

I was trying to find a really good Formosa Oolong for my friend to try. Alas, Teavana didn’t have anything like what I was looking for. It did have this one, which I’ve belatedly realised – thanks to the description in their printed catalogue not mentioning this – is a Ti Kuan Yin.

Vegetal is the first description that comes to mind. It’s very green, in the plant sense rather than the green tea sense. I don’t remember other Ti Kuan Yins I’ve tried having this quality, at least not to anything like this extent, though it’s been a few months since I’ve had one.

The tea is also a little floral, but nothing like as floral as, say, an Alishan oolong. Overall, it ends up less sweet than I was expecting, and also with none of that silky, buttery sort of texture that I’ve come to expect from the top drawer Formosa Oolongs.

This is not to say that I didn’t like this tea: I did. It is smooth, it is floral, and it is… green. < / star trek reference > It’s a good oolong if you’re in the mood for a Chinese oolong at the greener end of the scale – but I’ll be ordering a good Formosa Oolong from somewhere else for my friend before I go home. ;-)

I got a sample of this from chrimabro – THANKS, CHRISTINA!

I found this surprisingly weak in flavor. I steeped it for 3 minutes and the water was barely colored, and I could not taste much of anything, so I steeped it again for another 2-3 minutes. Better with the additional steeping time but still way too light for my personal taste.

Also, I laugh at Teavana’s claim that this is the “highest grade of oolong in the world.” Sorry, babe, but I’ve had better.

Ironically, this is my go-to tea for when I just want something “plain” without a ton of fruity flavors and all. This is a very calming tea that is buttery and a bit earthy. I haven’t tried it on a 2nd steep yet and am a little upset for not thinking of that since it is so expensive. I don’t think I realized the cost of this tea because it came in a gift set that I got 75% off. Now I will be a bit more reserved with the usage of it!