drank Anxi Rou Gui by Verdant Tea
1430 tasting notes

Here’s another Verdant oolong success that I only have a sample of; I ordered the wrong ones in bulk!

I used the gongfu method (10s, 15s, 20s) yesterday and drank it all throughout the day… and I may be drinking it still today because I only had enough for one session, you know?

It has a similar profile to my Si Ji Chun from Camellia Sinensis (heavy cream, spice, floral), but this doesn’t have that half-baked, unsweetened dough element that I wasn’t keen on. Jasmine, cinnamon, and cream combine with something sweet, almost fruity or honey-like, to create a satisfying, round profile.

I’m not rating it because of the lack of time with it, but it’s going on the list for fall 2017 purchases. And to think I thought I wouldn’t like it because I’ve only ever seen “Rou Gui” as a roasted stripped Wuyi oolong.

Steep Count: +8

(2016 fall harvest)

Flavors: Cinnamon, Cream, Fruity, Honey, Jasmine, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Daylon R Thomas

Okay, I’m mega curious: How does this one compare to the Jin Guanyin, and how do those compare to Taiwaneese oolongs? I’ve only had roasted Rou Gui’s though I may have had one from Mandala, and I’d guess the Jin Guanyin would be a slightly fruity Tie Guan Yin. I’m also debating on what green oolong to try next.

Crowkettle

Whoops, I missed this. I’m going to give you a detailed reply filled with my inexpertise knowledge.

Crowkettle

I only had one serving of this, so I can’t give you any certain comparison, but imo it’s not that similar at all to the Jin Guanyin. Jin has a definite fruity profile with specific fruits (lime) you can pick out. Rou Gui is just kind of sweet, especially the first steep, in a honey or syrup infused way. Verdant claims it has monk fruit notes, but I’ve never had that so can’t vouch for the accuracy; looking up monk fruit now it says it’s often used as a sweetener, like stevia.

Jin was also more floral (strong lilac & violet vs extremely subtle jasmine) and had more dynamic steeps. This Rou Gui had a satisfying profile but it didn’t seem to change much, even with my sloppy gongfu times and temp.

I’m going to be contradictory and say the cinnamon note in this oolong wasn’t THAT definitive; especially when I compare it to the unmistakable, almost overpowering, note of nutmeg in the Si Ji Chun I own.

Besides that Si Ji Chun, the few other Taiwanese oolongs I’ve tried this year have had grassy and vegetal notes! Anxi Rou Gui didn’t have that at all.

Crowkettle

PS- Just to emphasize my lack of oolong cred: I can’t actually compare this to a true roasted Rou Gui either. If I’ve ever tried one I wasn’t paying attention, which is unfortunately usually the case with me and roasted Wuyi oolong types.

Daylon R Thomas

That’s still helpful.

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Comments

Daylon R Thomas

Okay, I’m mega curious: How does this one compare to the Jin Guanyin, and how do those compare to Taiwaneese oolongs? I’ve only had roasted Rou Gui’s though I may have had one from Mandala, and I’d guess the Jin Guanyin would be a slightly fruity Tie Guan Yin. I’m also debating on what green oolong to try next.

Crowkettle

Whoops, I missed this. I’m going to give you a detailed reply filled with my inexpertise knowledge.

Crowkettle

I only had one serving of this, so I can’t give you any certain comparison, but imo it’s not that similar at all to the Jin Guanyin. Jin has a definite fruity profile with specific fruits (lime) you can pick out. Rou Gui is just kind of sweet, especially the first steep, in a honey or syrup infused way. Verdant claims it has monk fruit notes, but I’ve never had that so can’t vouch for the accuracy; looking up monk fruit now it says it’s often used as a sweetener, like stevia.

Jin was also more floral (strong lilac & violet vs extremely subtle jasmine) and had more dynamic steeps. This Rou Gui had a satisfying profile but it didn’t seem to change much, even with my sloppy gongfu times and temp.

I’m going to be contradictory and say the cinnamon note in this oolong wasn’t THAT definitive; especially when I compare it to the unmistakable, almost overpowering, note of nutmeg in the Si Ji Chun I own.

Besides that Si Ji Chun, the few other Taiwanese oolongs I’ve tried this year have had grassy and vegetal notes! Anxi Rou Gui didn’t have that at all.

Crowkettle

PS- Just to emphasize my lack of oolong cred: I can’t actually compare this to a true roasted Rou Gui either. If I’ve ever tried one I wasn’t paying attention, which is unfortunately usually the case with me and roasted Wuyi oolong types.

Daylon R Thomas

That’s still helpful.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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