Tung Ting Oolong No. 628

My daughters were very insistent that we must have tea time today, and before my middle daughter had to leave to take her grandmother to an appointment. I went to a neighbor’s house for a few minutes and came home to discover cute little vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles – mine had a candle in it because today is my birthday – and this lovely oolong.

I made it gong fu style before. This time it was steeped western style. It didn’t lose a THING! Oh my! Floral and wonderful! My daughter was amazed at how large the leaves got when she made it – she drinks black tea only. The liquor is a soft yellow and looks positively elegant in my Old Country Roses teacup, and the floral headiness of the tea was beautiful against the sweet vanilla cupcake. The flavor fills your mouth and dances on your tongue. Oh my cow, this is a lovely pot of tea. Or it was. I just polished off the whole thing by myself!

I can’t wait to try more teas from Tin Roof Tea!

Hmmmm. So yesterday I said this was a sip down, and in a way it was because I threw away the packaging for this tea. There is no way I am tossing these leaves, though, until every last bit of goodie is wrung out of them.

It started raining last night and has rained all morning so far, and will probably continue. I am having some quiet time alone today as hubby and kids go to church and I stay home with the puppy.

What else can you do on a quiet, rainy morning but make tea? :)

This is the second steep of these leaves and this is one of those teas where subsequent steeps are best. I suppose I could do a quick rinse of the leaves, but the first steep is enjoyable as well and I don’t want to waste. This second steep, though, is really excellent. When the timer went off for me to pull out the basket, I walked into the kitchen and was hit by this marvelous aroma.

Today’s steep has none of the astringency of the first steep and is lighter and more delicate. It is slightly floral but also has a mild walnut flavor. I am glad I used the huge tetsubin because I will definitely want lots of this, and I anticipate making yet another pot since hubby and my bestie will be joining me for tea later.

This is a sip down, albeit a very long one. Hubby and I did yoga this morning and I think we both needed a little relaxation and stress relief. I lit the warmer for my tetsubin and made a huge pot of this and we have been sipping on it all morning. Well, I have been sipping on it all morning! Hubby said it was good but not his favorite, and only drank two cups. I will be extremely well hydrated by the time I finish all this, plus I am taking Tropical Green to my neighbor and we will drink that together, AND he ordered some Numi Emperor’s Puerh for me so I expect we will be drinking that as well. Note to self: don’t get too far from a bathroom. I know, I know, overshare! LOL!

I loved this tea when I bought it, and I still like it a lot, but it did come out a little sour and drying today. I was making such a big pot that perhaps I botched it. It isn’t bad, it isn’t ruined, it just isn’t as good as I remembered. Maybe I have been spoiled by Silky Green.

This is something I would prefer to have with or just after a meal or snack. It cleanses the palate very nicely. This pot has walnut notes and medium body. One bag off the shelf!

My friend who is trying to learn to like green and oolong teas is on spring break right now, so we are getting together to do yoga and drink tea every day!

Yesterday’s tea was this oolong from Tin Roof Tea. They used to source everything from TeaGeschwender but now use several different German companies for their tea.

We steeped this western style and made two pots. We have another winner for our tea convert. Hooray! She really liked it. And what’s not to like? This has such rich, full flavor. It is very smooth, not astringent, and resteeps well.

I sent some of Teavivre’s Jasmine Dragon Pearls home with her and based on the text received last night, I will probably be ordering some of that for her as well! Since I have lots of ironing to do for hubby, I better go make a pot for ME right now. :)

This is a resteep of the leaves from this afternoon’s pot of tea. These leaves are still going strong, even being steeped western style and for the second time. Now I am picking up that same phenomenon that I got from Chun Mee by Teavivire. This steep is more woodsy, and at the end of the sip there is this amazing sweetness that lingers in the back of my throat. Perhaps there is a taste of dried hay as well. I didn’t pick up on the sweetness earlier today. Either it wasn’t there or it was hidden by the foods we were eating or the lively conversation. Now as an evening cuppa, oh my goodness this is marvelous. I am so glad, because I had really had a hankering for Chun Mee and I am out. This will hold me until my next Teavivre order!

Hubby and I left the house early this morning to go to an estate sale waaaay out of town, not far from the beach. So of course, we kept going! It was nearly eighty degrees, we had a picnic in a garden on the Little River, saw a bald eagle fishing right in front of us, a woodstork, and a cormorant, and then went walking on the beach. When I was walking to the strand the fresh sea breeze brought some wonderful scents that reminded me of this tea. I seem to smell tea aromas more and more where I never did before! Even when I was chopping and cooking carrots and other veggies last week, I was reminded of one tea or another.

Anyway, after a long and tiring – but exquisite! day – I made a whole pot of this, and drank it all myself! Once again there is a lingering sweetness that stays in the back of my throat, making me want even more of this tea. I want to try more Tung Ting/ Dong Ding teas and see how similar they are.

This was the first tea of tea time today and I just have to say, “WOW!”

My guest loved it, I loved it, and I want more. I also want to know why autocorrect changes the word “more” to the word “romper” even when I don’t mistype anything. That could be a very awkward substitute. Moving on…

This tea has such full flavor. It is both buttery and woodsy, and is going to be a tea shelf staple for a long, long time to come I do believe. Wonderful cup!