92

My rule of thumb these days is to always rinse any rolled ball oolongs. Brewed at 200˚F in my 80ml gaiwan.

1st infusion: (15s)
Really pale fawn-coloured liquor. Much lighter than the first time I brewed this tea, it tastes delicate, a lightly roasted version of the buttery green Tie Guan Yin and nowhere near a dark roasted Wuyi oolong. Heavenly.

2nd infusion: (20s)
Liquor is now a pale yellow tinged with brown. Perfect balance between the buttery and the roasty minerally oolongs I love. Easily a new favourite. Need to buy more!

3rd infusion: (35s)
Slightly overbrewed but still good. Colour is paler than 2nd infusion. Still tastes buttery

I got 6 infusions out of it before it got too light.

Rating: 92

Flavors: Butter, Floral, Mineral, Roasted

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C
Mr. Waffles

I have started rinsing them, too. Not only does it help open them up, but there are some “off” flavors that can be put aside with a quick wash.

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Mr. Waffles

I have started rinsing them, too. Not only does it help open them up, but there are some “off” flavors that can be put aside with a quick wash.

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Bio

Amateur tea enthusiast here. I told myself I would start with studying Chinese teas when I first encountered good tea at Song Tea in San Francisco in 2016, and it’s now 2023 and I feel like I’m still just beginning to scratch the surface of Chinese teas.

Maybe someday I will move on to Indian, Japanese, Korean, etc. teas…

For my day job I work in tech as well as write some fiction on the side.

The next step in my tea journey is to start training my nose with an aroma kit to get a more precise handle on floral notes.

My Tea Rating Scale: (adapted from @benmw)
100 : Unforgettable, life-changing tea experience.
95–99: Extraordinary – Beyond impressive.
90–94: Impressive – Deep complexity, extreme clarity, or unexpected discovery of wonderful flavor. Made me reconsider the category. Would always want to drink this if I had the chance.
80–89: Delicious – Nuanced, balanced, clear, and complex layering of flavors. Would probably buy this tea again.
70–79: Very Good – Nuanced flavors, perhaps not as balanced or complex as the next step up, but clear and very enjoyable. Would consider buying again if the price was right.
60–69: Good – Clear flavors, representative of the category, but doesn’t set a standard. Good as an everyday tea. Would not buy unless desperate (e.g. when travelling without access to better tea).
50–59: Average. Would not pay money for this, but would drink if it was provided FOC.
30–49: Below Average. Would not drink this again even if it were free.
0–29: Undrinkable. Could not even finish the cup.

Location

Singapore

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