Royal Phoenix Oolong

I am trying to not let myself get sucked in to the world of expensive, gourmet tea. Seeking out cheaper alternatives is a must have. I am very impressed with this. I’m not gonna lie to you and tell you I heard angels singing or the earth moved but this is an excellent value for the price ($4.00/oz as of today’s writing).

I steeped it for 2 minutes and used near boiling water with about 2 tsb of leaf and 10 oz of water. The website said to use fairly hot water in order to bring out the flavors. Very pleasant nectarine and peach flavors are coming through here. Not a trace of bitterness at all which can sometimes be a problem with these darker oolongs. Perfect for daily drinking…

So. Good.

I really like this flavor profile.

It reminds me very much of Royal Garland, the ‘white oolong’ (okay, my term for it, but it’s actually fairly accurate, as it turns out) from Samovar that I adore. The leaves look very different, of course, as they’re not white buds processed as oolong; I assume they’re leaves…they lack the fuzzy yarn look of the Royal Garland.

It has that sweet, fruity, tropically awesome taste though, and the aroma is so juicy and inviting. Roasted pineapple and plantains, nectarines, a bit of darjeeling-esque muscatel that doesn’t seem as sharp or bitter, no astringency. I loved this assembly of flavors in the Garland, and I loved it (even faint as it was) in the Tankha I bought, and it’s no surprise that I love it here.

The description suggests very little leaf and longer steeping times, but based on Ricky’s tasting notes for Phoenix Oolong and his experiences with finicky leaves, I decided to err on the side of caution and use more leaf at a very short steep time. Thirty seconds seems like hardly enough time to steep tea leaves to me — I’m so used to black teas — but the resulting cup doesn’t lack for flavor in the least.

I’m very much looking forward to playing with this one.

Special thanks to Mercuryhime for this one!

This is very much like…AUTUMN…it has a roasty type taste too it…reminiscent of fall leaves. I can also pick up something that resembles peach – a natural note not an actual FLAVOR. This is pretty good! Especially if you are into the charcoal-esque oolongs! Thumbs up!

Does seem very similar to Royal Garland (as sophistre mentioned), which makes me wonder how it will be if I used 195° water, so I’m going to have to try that some time.
First steep (30s): It’s bold but soft, has a Darjeeling/muscatel note but with no brightness or astringency. Very attractive taste. I do want a little more punch to it so might up the steep time.
Second steep (1min): Very honeyed and smooth, rich Darjeeling.
Third steep (1:45): Mmm, very tasty. A bit decadent, like eating tangy dark chocolate (but, you know, without the chocolate bit).
I really need to do a side by side with Royal Garland to do a better comparison of the two. I think this one might be bolder and less complex over all, but then I’m working off of a not-so-great memory. Regardless, I really do like this one.

The leaves are dark and straight. They’re like little 1" twigs.

The brewed leaves smell like…wet fallen leaves…? I’m not sure what it is, but it smells like something natural and woodsy.

First steep was pretty mild and dark tasting. It was pleasant and tasted of stone fruits. 2nd steep was very apricot-y. I had to take a few sips to figure out the other flavors. Mint, anise and campfire. As much as I love the smell of a campfire, I don’t think I like the taste of one. I have never before tasted these things in an oolong. It’s very earthy and well oxidized. These flavors continue into the 4th steep except the minty character. That’s gone now. I’m really not digging the anise and earthy aspect. Normally, earthy is ok, but this is intensely earthy. It’s also very fruity, but the other flavors stand out more to me. I’m sure there are many steeps left in these leaves, but I’m done with it. I kept steeping out of curiosity, but I’m really not enjoying this tea.
Am I brewing this wrong? Everyone else seems to like it.

I’m smelling the bottom of my cup now and it really smells like autumn in the woods with a campfire in the distance. It smells fabulous because I love autumn, woods and campfires, but those are not three things I’d like to eat. hmm…

I’m learning a lot about oolong these days. I’ve always liked oolong, but I never had more than a few different kinds. Thank you Batrachoid, for expanding my education with your generous sample.

In this case the poetic Chinese name of Phoenix is quite appropriate; I predict this tea reappearing in my tasting notes again and again.
This tea is just fun! I’ve only had a couple cups all brewed differently with sharply contrasting results but they’ve all displayed a complex flavor profile and flexibility I don’t see in many teas. They usually center around stone fruits, muscatel, and herbs. I need to record all the parameters to nail how to get what flavor.

And what better way to start the day than oolong investigation and BBC? It’s the start of the 100 day coutdown to the Royal Wedding, after all! ;)

Personally I like this better than Jing Tea Shop’s Mi Lan Dan Cong. Maybe they’re not exactly the same kind of tea though. This one had a lot more flavor!

I took about a tsp and steeped it for about 5 minutes per the container instructions. I’m not getting a very strong flavor, it’s very light. It has a definite peach flavor at the end. Perhaps I’ll steep it longer next time.

I haven’t been overly impressed with other teas I’ve tried from Tao of Tea, but I love this tea. Discovered it at my local co-op (and for $20/lb less than on their website, which I don’t understand, but I’ll take it!) It’s going to be my new ‘everyday’ oolong. Has a light, fresh, slightly fruity taste (the company describes it as nectarine/peaches, while I think apricots).