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tunes&tea

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2003 Reserve Four Season Oolong from Butiki Teas

tunes&tea drank 2003 Reserve Four Season Oolong by Butiki Teas

Happy anniversary to me! I’ve been on Steepster one month now. I know, I know…it feels like ages since you’ve first started seeing my posts make my way onto your computer screen…kinda like when I’m talking to my wife about one of my many aches and pains and she says “you’ve been complaining about that for ages” or “it’s been ages since you’ve done something romantic for me”. Hopefully not too many of you associate me with a negative overtone but either way I’ll keep writing until I hear otherwise.

Again I had an errant expectation about today’s tea. I hadn’t read the maker’s description and was unaware that this was a greener oolong. I’m still in an inexperienced state so I’m not sure if the spring picking is why it is that way, but can only assume it to be. The liquor was somewhat a darker brown. Dry leaf was floral and once infuzed it took on a wood/dry grass aroma.

First sip I found to be pretty grassy with a bit of nutty notes and it left a faint sweetness I noticed when I licked my lips. A few drinks later and the nutty had transformed into a wood/acorn note while the grassy notes had increased. More and more I’m seeing the greener tastes phasing out of my personal selections, though this being an oolong and not a straight green tea has made it much more tolerable. I can definitely say that there is little to no astringency.

All in all it’s a fine cup that I could keep on drinking but won’t steep past the second steeping because I have darker oolongs to drink instead. I’ve read online a little about oolongs trying to decipher the greener from darker ones but haven’t seen a formula yet.

Wife was going through her old college CD’s, so the selection of music hinged on that.
tunes-Dave Mathew’s Band=Captain/Grey Street/Two Step/The Stone/ Granny/Minarets

2012-09-02 16:55:44 -0400

180 °F / 82 °C

4 min 0 sec

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ashmanra 2012-09-02 18:34:52 -0400

The green oolongs are less oxidized. The darker ones are usually “roasted” one way or another. Why heat at all? If you cut up an apple, it turns brown pretty fast, it oxidizes. If you bake that apple, it doesn’t. The heat arrests the oxidation. Same with tea. Leaves are bruised or withered, and oxidized. How much oxidation and processing determines, more or less in order, whether it is white, yellow, green, green oolong, dark oolong, or black. I am not that smart, I stole this from somewhere that I read it, don’t remember where now! Correct me, everyone, if I got something wrong!

Butiki Teas 2012-09-02 18:42:26 -0400

You will definitely want to look for something that is more oxidized. Our 2003 Reserve Four Season Oolong was oxidized between 20-30%.

Butiki Teas 2012-09-02 18:43:09 -0400

So anything that says lightly oxidized, is something that you will want to stay away from.

Azzrian 2012-09-02 18:43:59 -0400

I don’t know ashmanra but I do love this tea. :)
Happy Anniversary! Tomorrow is my 6 months anny!

Butiki Teas 2012-09-02 18:54:38 -0400

Oh yeah and happy Steepsterversary!!!

HyBr1d 2012-09-02 19:18:24 -0400

Charcoal dark roast dong ding’s or tieguanyin’s all the way! They tend to turn to fruity and roasty, instead of flowery and perfumey :) I’ll be doing tasting notes again around the middle of October, not enough time now :( Hopefully you will zero in on your own optimal flavor profile, tunes! Happy cupping :)

Bonnie 2012-09-02 22:16:53 -0400

Happy one month! Love that you include music notes!

Hesper June 2012-09-03 09:41:55 -0400

Happy one month anniversary!

TheTeaFairy 2012-09-03 11:41:18 -0400

Happy one month, hope you stay around!

Ninavampi 2012-09-03 22:35:16 -0400

Yay! Happy Month!!! :)

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Another revision…
My name is Dave. I enjoy shu pu’erhs, but starting to branch toward shengs. I drink darker oolongs daily, though I’ve been finding greener types that have less grassy astringency that I’m very happy with. And finally, some black teas are making it into my cup somewhat regularly.

I still have much to learn and welcome all of the suggestions sent my way. I’m also thankful for the many samples sent to me and without them would not have learned what I have thus far. Now that I’ve had several types of tea to try I’ve came to realize that I’m picky and much prefer traditional teas as opposed to blends, though there are still some that grab me.

I’m a wimp when it comes to astringency so take anything I say about this characteristic with a grain of salt(ASTRINGENCY WEENIE MAN, or AWM for short).

Other ramblings;
About tunes; I, like many, love them. I like adding them to my notes, but I feel like if someone were let’s say knitting or painting or reading a book that it would help the readers to get a better feel for how the writer may be impressioned about his environment toward his tea experience.
I wish I would have paid more attention to the grammer teachers so many years ago and not doodling band insignias. I should revisit the proper use of commas for starters, which I love.
I also love, and probably over use, parenthesis (the use of them may be a second personality coming to surface).
I’m a two finger typer and it may take me over an hour to write a note between my typing and creating a musical environment to write a ‘proper’ note with.
I try to PM everyone who follows/return follows me a hello and an offer of suggestions on what I’ve came across on Steepster. I was a little lost at first and almost quit so I’ve taken it upon myself to help others get through the first day. I plan to write a discussion on this topic.
If you’ve not listened to the enchanting stories about Dave and Morley go to ‘The Vinyl Cafe with Stuart Mclean’ website and listen to a podcast or two. Many of the Canadians on here I’ve asked had, yet surprisingly many had not heard of it.