Old Ways Tea

I recently did a side-by-side session with this tea and its electric-roasted counterpart from Old Ways Tea. Before trying either, I expected there to be a slight difference, but I figured the electric roast would be at least on par with the charcoal roast. Surprisingly, this turned out not to be the case at all. The electric roast was not bad tea, but it paled in comparison to the charcoal roasted tea.

The charcoal roast, unsurprisingly, had a much more charcoal-y and roasted aroma than the electric roast tea. In fact, the aroma was a little less interesting than that of the electric roast, with the roasting overwhelming a lot of the other notes present in the electric roast. Thus I was surprised when I took the first sip of the charcoal roast tea. It was immediately deeper tasting, with more fullness in the mouth and a much longer finish. The flavor transitioned during the sip from a roasty sweetness, with a bit of sharpness common to roasted teas, but was quickly followed by a sweet and juicy, fruity huigan which reminded me of plums or other dark/ripe stone fruits.

Really a delightful tea, and to my personal tastes, there is no reason to buy any more of the electric roast now that I’ve done a comparison between it and the charcoal roast Huang Guan Yin.

A really nice, complex and light Wuyi black tea. Aromas and flavors of honey, peach, rose, sunflower, pomelo, lemon, malt, almond, leather and pine. Aftertaste of rose, sunflower and citrus turning into a long-lasting impression of peach butter spread on a Hawaiian sweet roll. Sparkling, clean minerality. Good mouthfeel with only a very slight astringency and some nice tongue-numbing. There was an interesting effect with my saliva… it was almost effervescent or hm, foamy/fluffy? It reminded me a little of eating some foaming, sour hard candy from my childhood. I think they were called Tearjerkers?

This 2017 Wild Style Black was very similar to the 2018 though more complex. I’d probably reach for this one over the 2018 but they’re both excellent teas.

(5g, 100mL gaiwan, 200F, flash rinse, 12 steeps)

Here is another review from my backlog. I finished a sample of this tea during either the third or fourth week of November. Normally, I am not a huge Jin Jun Mei fan, but I ended up greatly enjoying this one. I cannot say that I was really surprised by that, however, as I tend to be a big fan of Old Ways Tea’s offerings.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 194 F water for 6 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 8 seconds, 10 seconds, 13 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of honey, sweet potato, pine, cedar, and straw. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted almond and candied orange that were underscored by a hint of orchid scent. The first infusion brought out aromas of lemon zest, baked bread, and cinnamon. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of baked bread, orchid, honey, straw, cedar, and candied orange that were backed by roasted almond, pine, and lemon zest hints. The subsequent infusions brought out aromas of black pepper, ginger, cocoa, malt, and violet. Stronger honey and candied orange notes appeared in the mouth along with stronger and more immediate impressions of roasted almond and lemon zest. I also detected notes of violet, pear, brown sugar, black pepper, cinnamon, cocoa, malt, marshmallow, minerals, and ginger as well as subtle, belatedly emerging sweet potato hints. I even picked up some hints of peach and tomato on several infusions. By the time I wrapped up my review session, I could still pick out impressions of minerals, brown sugar, malt, violet, candied orange, and lemon zest that were chased by fleeting hints of ginger, honey, pine, baked bread, and orchid.

Compared to most Jin Jun Mei I have tried, this tea produced an incredibly deep, complex, and busy liquor. There was just so much going on with it. While it could get a little bit challenging and even overwhelming at times, it never came remotely close to being unlikable or unsatisfying. In the end, I would not recommend this tea to those just getting into Jin Jun Mei (it might be a little much for such people), but I would have no difficulty recommending it to established fans of Wuyi black teas.

Gone gaiwan. 8g, 100mL, 205F, 10s rinse followed by 11 steeps.

The dry and warmed leaf possessed a good range of aromas dominated by the roast.
Underneath were scents of oak, red cherry, star anise, osmanthus, dark chocolate, fennel
and cinnamon. Rinsing the leaf brought forward aromas of oak, roasted walnut and pumpkin with osmanthus, peach and woody cinnamon in the background.

For the first several steeps, the aroma was fragrant with bittersweet chocolate, orchid
and osmanthus. In the mouth I could taste bold flavors of oak wood and minerals and a
lighter peach. The liquor was woody-bitter with a good astringency felt on the tongue,
leaving behind an intriguing rough texture. The aftertaste had notes of mint and orchid
and a delayed expression of cassia. With the first steep, I could quickly feel my sinuses
opening with a cooling menthol or perhaps camphor which soon crept its way into my ears. As the steeps progressed, the flavors became smoother and more muted while the aftertaste vied for attention, developing prolonged notes of peach, osmanthus, orchid and chocolate. At this point a pleasant returning sweetness also presented. From there, the high notes completely faded away and the brew became more bitter, ending with wood, flat pumpkin, and faint cassia.

I found this to be a really nice Rou Gui. I enjoyed the long peach and osmanthus aftertaste and the cassia played a nice supporting role instead of dominating. The Rou Gui cultivar tends to be a bit too woody for my tastes but this one was nevertheless very pleasant.

I took notes for about half this session then came to visit this tea’s page. Upon reading eastkyteaguys’s note, I realize I have nothing new to add. His review is very comprehensive as usual. I find this tea very aromatic and tasty, much like eating a lightly spiced dark chocolate bar with walnuts, caramel and red fruits while sitting on a boulder in a cedar forest. It induces a very calming, reflective and open energy. Love me some well-blended Da Hong Pao. Good news: according to Old Ways Tea’s website this tea will be restocked. Give it a try. It’s good.

Addendum: Simmering the spent leaves produces a mellow, woody and nutty cup.

Don’t read below this if you don’t want to read some rambling.

So glad to be leaving San Francisco. Too much hustle. Since the mothership landed in California almost 9 years ago, I’ve made a continual northward migration. Hopefully I will end up at my school of choice next fall which is still higher in latitude than where I will be moving. I live in a neighborhood that highlights the economic disparity of this city, adjacent to both the government center and high-end international retail shopping. A lot of rough times here. We have our problems with drug use and open-air dealing, serious mental illness, lack of bathroom facilities for the homeless and car break-ins but I have come to love the grit of this neighborhood. It does have its charms. My building is full of immigrant families and long-time residents who have been so kind and respectful in my 5 years’ stay here. I find some of the denizens of this neighborhood less fortunate than myself to be charming human beings who have simply fallen on hard times. People are watching your back for you here, though honestly, with some learned awareness, I never feel unsafe. I’ve had philosophical conversations on the street with people high on crack. I’ve given random hugs, helped handicapped people cross the street, covered up people with a hoodie or blanket if they were passed out on the sidewalk, called 911 on people who have overdosed. Last Christmas, a homeless services agency was handing out gift bags and as I was walking by, the recipients pulled me into their group for a random photo and cheer. The things I talk about are not about me taking pride in my acts but rather they’re me reflecting that I’m not the only one doing these things. There’s a lot of really ugly shit going down here but also a lot of kind-hearted people trying to keep it from getting worse. It’s been a good stay here but the strife has definitely taken its toll on my psyche. I yearn for less hustle, easier access to nature and a place where I can let my cat outside (she deserves it, good old girl).

What I find crazy is that I gave my notice to vacate a week ago and already yesterday somebody put in an application on my apartment without even viewing it. There will also be an open house tomorrow. Finding housing in this city is no joke.

Please forgive my rambling. Some teas make me do that.

So far, all the 2018 black teas I’ve tried from Old Ways Tea have had a strong floral note. This Wild Style Black had long-lasting white rose and sunflower notes on top of a light malty, baked bread base, lemon and orange zesty flavors and a very clean, light minerality. The aftertaste moved from rose and sunflower to sour orange to buttered, baked bread. There is also some returning sweetness.

One thing I’m really enjoying about this year’s black teas is their texture. This Wild Style Black was smooth with a kind of numbing astringency that’s not overbearing. It’s difficult to describe but something I’m really enjoying. I wonder if this quality is present in some of their older black teas which I have in my cupboard but have yet to try.

This was a delightful and clean Wuyi black tea with good longevity and recommended for fans of black teas from this region.

(5g, 100mL gaiwan, 200F, flash rinse, 12 steeps starting at 10s)

This was the tea I was rummaging around for to have as a follow-up to a breakfast of a lentil/garbanzo/quinoa patty sandwich and some tater tots.

Gone full western this time. No gaiwan action with this 5g pouch. 8oz, 200F, 4 good steeps at 2/3/5/? minutes.

The dry leaf smelled strongly of tar and cedar smoke. It wasn’t so strong that it was nauseating, though In fact I really enjoyed it. I’m a weirdo and love the smell of a house being re-roofed and the laying of asphalt. I was happy I picked this because it seemed like it was going to go well with the slight smokiness and spiciness of the paprika in my veg patty. The aroma of the first steep smelled moderately of cedar smoke and wood, leather, roasted almond skins and mineral. There was also an umami presence that my olfactories said was cheese, like a tangy and sweet, buttery aged gouda. I like.

The brew started out with a tasty layer of cedar smoke enveloping mineral lemon water. It had a good, light to medium body but also some astringency in the very front of the mouth along my gums which was kind of distracting. Some light bitterness presented in the back. The aftertastes hung around with notes of smoked meat, leather, cedar and a tartness.

I sniffed the leaves after the second steep. With the cedar smoke and leather, there was also a floral note, perhaps white or yellow rose. This didn’t come through in taste in the first few steeps and was likely masked by the smoke but it did appear in the third steep.

As I progressed through the rest of the steeps, the tastes stayed roughly the same. There was an addition of roasted peanut, and as I mentioned the floral note finally came through. The lemon tartness became stronger at the top back of the mouth and on the sides of my tongue. My mouth watered, helping with the astringency. A delayed light returning sweetness also appeared.

This didn’t blow me away, but I’m not really expecting that with a smoked tea. It was comforting yet clean and refined, without the smokiness bowling me over. Good longevity, too. I think it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a higher quality smoked black tea.

Dabo turned out to be very similar to the Jin Guazi. Same aroma and taste – sunflower (Old Ways Tea mentions orchid in the description), winter squash, sweet potato-ish, nutty, mineral. However, this tea has about half the intensity as the Jin Guazi in aroma, taste, texture, feelings of relaxation and longevity. Dabo is also nearly half the price of Jin Guazi, reflecting the difference in character between these two teas. This is big leaf material (found a 10cm long leaf!) and I wonder if it is from the same bushes or trees as Jin Guazi since it has a nearly identical flavor profile.

I recommend this tea on the caveat that it is brewed gongfu to get the full experience which was rather short-lived for me with 6 good steeps and another 2 that were pushing it. OR, now that I think about it, do a longer western steep. A western cup brewed at only 3 minutes turned out too light-bodied and watery for my liking. A second 5-minute steep was where I felt this tea opened up.

I enjoyed Dabo and think it is worth a try despite what might sound like a negative review. My bias follows an incredible experience with the similar but very expensive Jin Guazi and I’m leaving Dabo unrated because of that.

This was my most recent sipdown since I finished my sample of this tea this morning. It was an excellent Wuyi black tea with great body and texture to go along with wonderful aromatics and flavor components. I suppose I should not have been surprised, however, since Old Ways Tea seems to have a way with Wuyi blacks.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 185 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of baked bread, sweet potato, and malt underscored by hints of grass. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted peanut and honey as well as a slight orchid fragrance. The first infusion introduced aromas of brown sugar and candied orange. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of sweet potato, honey, orchid, and candied orange that gave way to impressions of malt, roasted peanut, and brown sugar. There were also subtle notes of pear, grass, and peach in the aftertaste. The subsequent infusions brought out scents of violet, apple, pear, and chocolate. Baked bread notes came out in the mouth along with impressions of minerals, violet, cream, apple, chocolate, and nectarine. There were some very subtle hints of straw too. The previously mentioned notes of pear and peach were more intense, swelling on the finish and merging with lingering touches of brown sugar, violet, orchid, candied orange, and honey in the mouth for a unique afterglow. By the end of the session, I could still pick out mineral, malt, cream, and roasted peanut notes that were accented by hints of violet, honey, pear, brown sugar, and sweet potato.

Okay, I may as well just come out and say it: I enjoyed this tea much more than I expected to. It was a much sweeter, fruitier, and more floral tea than its name suggested, and it clearly had not lost a step in storage. All in all, this was a wonderful Wuyi black tea. I could see it being tremendously satisfying for fans of sweeter and more robustly flavored black teas.

This was one of my most recent sipdowns as I finished what I had of this tea on Saturday night. Prior to this, my experiences with Lao Cong Shui Xian had been hit or miss. I recall trying one from Yunnan Sourcing earlier in the year that was just plain not very good. Fortunately, this one was excellent. It provided me with further proof that some of the Banyan teas can provide drinking experiences that rival or exceed some of the more revered Zhengyan teas.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 205 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of char, pine, cedar, blackberry, cinnamon, and black cherry. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of smoke, roasted almond, and mushroom. The first infusion introduced blueberry and rock sugar scents. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of roasted almond, mushroom, blackberry, cinnamon, smoke, black cherry, and char that were chased by notes of blueberry, cream, and rock sugar as well as some subtle, indistinct vegetal hints. The subsequent infusions introduced roasted peanut, citrus, orchid, grass, and cannabis aromas. Stronger rock sugar and cream notes came out in the mouth along with new impressions of minerals, cannabis, caramel, grass, orange zest, lemon zest, and roasted peanut. There were even some very subtle hints of wildflower honey here and there. These infusions also introduced a smooth, cooling herbal impression that lingered in the mouth after each swallow; it reminded me of tobacco. The final few infusions emphasized lingering mineral, cream, pine, mushroom, and roasted nut notes. Fleeting hints of rock sugar, honey, black cherry, grass, and cannabis were just present enough to provide some satisfying depth and complexity.

I know I have most likely said it several times in the past, but I am a huge fan of Wuyi Shui Xian. I often find it to be a very approachable, soothing, and comforting tea, and fortunately for me, its widespread cultivation and popularity make it easy and relatively cheap to obtain. It is also a very versatile and resilient tea, working equally well on its own or in blends. In the past, I have heard it described as a gateway or doorkeeper yancha, and I have finally come to understand why that is. Since it is so readily available, it makes both a reliable daily drinker and a perfect introduction to Wuyi oolongs. A good Wuyi Shui Xian will let you know immediately if yancha is going to be for you, and it will also be a tea you can come back to repeatedly over time. For me, this tea was a near perfect Shui Xian at an acceptable price. It reminded me why I not only love the Shui Xian cultivar, but also Wuyi yancha, so much. If I had bought a larger quantity to begin with, I would return to this tea time and time again.

It is not often (enough) one is in awe.

A follow-up note after finishing the remaining 2.5g.

I’m thinking the floral might be sunflower – that seems to go along with the light nuttiness in aroma and taste. And damn does the bottom of the cup smell so good and sweet, like caramelized brown sugar, floral and squash. The floral aftertaste really fills the mouth. Noticeable cooling in throat after the warm feeling subsides. Toward the end, there’s a sweetness emanating from the throat. I can see the teeny tiny golden buds, or melon seeds, emerging between the two-leaf set. This is top notch tea. Would be a 100 for me if there were more evolution of flavor. Bumped up the rating a little.

This reminds me of a warm fall day at the family farm in Ohio.

Old Ways Tea is located in my neck of the woods and I’m happy to buy from them. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried from them thus far (except huangguanyin yancha, but I just don’t like them in general) and this tea is no exception.

I was stepping into unknown territory with this tea, so I decided to do a small tasting and I’m glad I did. This tea would just not give up. Gone gaiwan: 2.5g, 60 mL, 200F, 10s rinse followed by 16 steeps. 16! from 2.5g! Holy jeebie. 10/15/ 20/25/30/35/40/45/50s and 1m/1m10/1m30/2/3/5/8m.

Dry leaf had a strong grassy and floral scent that I can’t place but I know it is something I’ve experienced before. It’s still driving me crazy after the session. I hope somebody else tries this tea and can help elucidate what the scent might be. I really want to know because the grassy floral was the prominent aroma and aftertaste of this tea.

There wasn’t much evolution in flavor over the course of the session but what it did offer was a fantastic balance of aroma, texture, aftertaste and feelings of relaxation. I imagine using all 5 grams could get one pretty tea drunk. The grassy floral on the nose came through in the taste and seemed to be stacked on a layer of light minerals, something nutty, and a dark melon or pumpkin, mabye even a long-cooked sweet potato, oozing its gooey goodness. These all hit the tongue with a thinness on the sip that transitioned into a thick brew with some astringency at the back of the mouth. My swallow was loud and very satisfying. Like Old Ways Tea stated in its description, I could feel the tea in my throat, warm and full. That later turned into a full-mouthed astringency but the mineral effect kept it from getting out of hand. Toward the end, my tongue felt full and thick, a little tingly and sandpapery. The thick and coating floral aftertaste stuck around long after the swallow and made each successive steep that much more enjoyable.

I can’t see myself reaching for this tea on a regular basis due to the strong floral aspect and its longevity but it’s definitely a treat for the senses and seems to be masterfully processed. I definitely recommend giving this one a try for experienced tasters and fans of texture.

I’m still going through the backlog, but I’m making considerable progress in clearing it out. After I post this review, I will only have three teas left from September, and so far, I only have five teas to review from this month. It may seem sad, but I have had neither the time nor the motivation to drink much tea lately. This has been due to me kind of being on a big health kick. I’m trying to sleep more, take in fewer calories, avoid junk foods, stick to a meal schedule, and work out much more frequently. I just suddenly got sick of feeling like crap and being down on myself and realized that I needed to shake up my routine in order to improve both my body and my mind. Unfortunately, I spent the better part of the last five years settling into this netherworld of just being out of shape enough to develop a few health concerns and feel bad all the time, but not so much that I looked all that unhealthy, and I am now trying to do something about it. A lot of the time that I would have previously spent sipping tea and writing is now being spent exercising and working around my house, so the backlog is growing much more slowly than it was over the summer. Anyway, this was one of the last teas I drank in September. I only had a sample pouch of it, so I could not play around with it much, but I still found it to be a very good Wuyi black tea.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a very quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of honey, peach, and tangerine. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of malt, roasted almond, and baked bread. The first infusion introduced a buttery scent. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of honey, peach, and tangerine that quickly faded to reveal impressions of malt, baked bread, and roasted almond. Subsequent infusions introduced subtle aromas of cream, chocolate, orange zest, and brown sugar. New impressions of minerals, cream, chocolate, and orange zest appeared in the mouth alongside belatedly emerging butter notes and hints of sweet potato and orchid. The final few infusions offered lingering mineral, tangerine, roasted almond, malt, and orange zest notes that were backed by hints of honey, peach, and butter.

Of the black teas I have tried from Old Ways Tea, this was neither the deepest nor the most complex, but it was a very pleasant, engaging black tea with nice texture and very respectable longevity compared to some of the other Wuyi black teas I have tried. I could see it making either a wonderful introduction to the world of Wuyi black tea or a great daily drinker for those who prefer sweet, fruity black teas. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this tea and would have no issues with recommending it to curious drinkers.

This was my next-to-last sipdown in August. Once I get this review posted, I will be completely done with my August reviews. This tea ended up being a bit surprising for me because I enjoyed it greatly. I am normally pretty ambivalent toward Huang Guan Yin, but this one was excellent.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 208 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cream, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted peanut and smoke. The first infusion introduced earthy and mushroom-like scents to the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of roasted peanut and tart blackberry accompanied by hints of cream, mushroom, raspberry, and blueberry. The finish was mostly earthy with a dominant mushroom note, though I also found some impressions of wood and smoke in the aftertaste. The following infusions introduced stronger berry aromas and new wood, black cherry, pomegranate, and citrus scents. New impressions of roasted walnut, beechnut, pomegranate, black cherry, raisin, minerals, dark chocolate, and orange zest appeared in the mouth alongside subtle malt notes and stronger impressions of cream, mushroom, blackberry, and raspberry. Oddly enough, I thought I also detected a hint of camphor in the aftertaste on several of these infusions. The final few infusions offered mineral, roasted peanut, cream, and wood notes that were underscored by hints of malt and orange zest.

Unlike the few Wuyi Huang Guan Yins I had tried prior to this tea, the aromas and flavors on display here did not clash too much, and this tea retained a great deal of complexity fairly deep into the session. I noted, however, that when it was done, it was simply done. Once I hit the seven minute mark there was not much left to savor. That is not much of a knock, though, considering that this tea was fantastic prior to that point. If it is still available, I highly recommend giving this tea a shot. It may change your mind about Huang Guan Yin if you are not much of a fan.

This was one of the last tea samples I finished in September. At the time, it was one I had been looking forward to for at least a month since I had so greatly enjoyed the other old tree black teas I had tried from Old Ways Tea. Unfortunately, this one ended up being my least favorite of the bunch, but it was still a more or less very good tea.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a very quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of raisin, honey, cinnamon, and cedar. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted almond, roasted peanut, and malt. The first infusion introduced aromas of straw and brown sugar. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of honey, roasted almond, roasted peanut, straw, and brown sugar that were chased by hints of cream, raisin, and butter. Subsequent infusions introduced a strong mineral presence on the nose as well as scents of sweet potato, orange, and rose. Slightly stronger cream, butter, and raisin notes appeared in the mouth along with new impressions of minerals, candied orange, tart cherry, baked bread, blueberry, and rose. I also picked up barely perceptible impressions of cedar and cinnamon. Hints of blackberry and tobacco lingered in the mouth after each swallow. The final few infusions offered notes of minerals, malt, butter, rose, candied orange, and roasted almond that were backed by hints of cedar, brown sugar, cream, butter, and sweet potato.

This was a very complex and long-lived tea, yet it was also very dry and understated. Even for a Wuyi black tea, the mineral presence was particularly heavy both on the nose and in the mouth, and because of this quality, this tea was more notable for its sharp, crisp texture than the strength of its flavor components. Truthfully, people who love highly textured teas will probably appreciate this one more than someone like me who is more about powerful, memorable scents and flavors. I still greatly appreciated this tea, but I will go ahead and offer the opinion that this tea and others like it will likely not be for everyone.

I should have reviewed this tea without a cold…while I use this tea to treat a cold. The first time I had it was gong fu immediately after receiving the package. Orchid was the obvious floral I got in the aroma and liquor, along with rose, deeper bamboo, butter, oak, light roast, charcoal hints, a faintly peachy mid body, and a rosehip finish amidst a robust mineral body. My hammy imagination paints volcanic rocks along wave plunged cliffs. Either way, earthy in every way that I can imagine.

It struck me as Yancha, but the florals were something more akin to a Qilan in contrast to the thick and bitter Rou Gui minerals. Spice might be a bit much, but I can see it in the aftertaste on occasion. I don’t know. Da Hong Pao’s seemed like they would be my go to for oolongs as a reforming coffee lover six years ago, but most of the yanchas I’ve had kinda taste the same after a while. I can love tasting rocks for only so long. At least this tea had something else going for it. I was glad to experience it anyway.

I tried this tea alongside Old Ways’s “normal” Shui Xian. I was a little bit surprised by the results. Visually, the leaves looked pretty similar, though slightly lighter in color, and I suspect roasting level. Aroma was dominated by roast, but I was able to pick out a bit more along with it. Floral notes, and a bit of toasty sugar, almost like creme brulee.

The flavor was harder to wrap my head around. Compared to the regular Shui Xian, the flavors were a lot more subtle. I got much more out of it when I drank it alone versus the side-by-side session I did with the two. Flavors are similar – roasty sweet in the front of the sip, but a little softer with the Old Tree. The finish was stone fruit, floral, and mineral. Very soft feeling overall if that makes any sense. This roast is skillfully done and well rested. Very smooth.

A very good tea in its own right. I wouldn’t consider it superior to the regular Shui Xian, but certainly different. A lot of that might be my relatively inexperienced yancha palate. The slightly heavier hitting flavors of the “regular” Shui Xian stood out to me a bit more, so I very slightly prefer that one. Both are good teas though.

Bottomline comparison between regular and Old Tree Shui Xian – Regular has bolder, stronger, more straightforward flavors, whereas the Old Tree is more about subtle floral notes and aromas, along with the smooth roast. Experienced yancha drinkers may get more out of the Old Tree, but both are quite tasty.

Recently ordered a bunch of samples from Old Ways Tea – excited to start trying them. I haven’t had enough yancha lately. This leaf smelled delightfully roasty and sweet – it was also visually striking. Long, twisted leaves with a deep black/purple hue from the roast.

Flavor was mainly roasty at front of the sip, with some steeps yielding a lightly sour note that kind of reminds me of really dark chocolate. The lingering finish was the highlight for me. Returning stone fruit sweetness, which is washed away a few seconds later by a smooth mineral sweetness. This tea also steeped out a little bit longer than a lot of the yancha I’ve had.

Actually, I may as well post another of my backlogged tea reviews while I’m at it. This was a more recent sipdown since I finished what I had of this tea around the end of July or start of August. I found it to be an excellent Rou Gui, and that is really saying something since Rou Gui is not usually one of my things.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cinnamon, pine, char, rock sugar, blackberry, and black cherry. After the rinse, I detected aromas of roasted almond and roasted peanut to go along with a stronger rock sugar aroma and a slight smokiness. The first infusion saw the bouquet turn spicier and citrusy as aromas of candied orange peel and ginger emerged. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of cinnamon, pine, black cherry, smoke, char, rock sugar, and blackberry that were balanced by notes of cream and roasted nuts on the swallow. The subsequent infusions introduced aromas of black raspberry and pomegranate. Notes of candied orange peel and ginger belatedly emerged alongside stronger roasted peanut, roasted almond, and rock sugar notes. New flavors of minerals, pomegranate, black raspberry, and ginger emerged. There were even very subtle notes of popcorn, grass, tobacco, roasted barley, black pepper, nutmeg, and red grape in places. The later infusions emphasized impressions of minerals, cream, roasted nuts, and rock sugar that were backed by hints of pine and smoke.

This was an incredibly complex Rou Gui with tremendous depth and a wonderful body in the mouth. I also loved how crisp and pronounced the mineral impressions were. Honestly, this was the sort of Rou Gui I had been looking for since I first started trying them a couple years ago. Definitely give this one a shot if you are in the same boat. I doubt it will disappoint.

I have been going crazy with Wuyi oolongs since at least late July, and quite frankly, the offerings of Old Ways Tea are almost entirely responsible for that. I think I placed my first order there back in February, and since then, Old Ways Tea has become one of my go-to sources for quality Wuyi teas at reasonable prices. For some reason, I just got the urge to start drinking more Wuyi oolongs in July and have been going through at least one pouch a week since that time. That fact also makes me wonder who the hell decides to drink roasted oolongs during the hottest months of the year. Apparently a weird guy like me, that’s who. Anyhow, this was a very nice Wuyi oolong. Like several Qi Lans I have tried, it was softer and more delicate in the mouth than teas produced from some of the other Wuyi cultivars.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I detected aromas of cream, baked bread, blackberry, and orchid coming from the dry tea leaves. After the rinse, I detected subtle char, smoke, rock sugar, and blueberry scents along with a more defined aroma of roasted peanut. The first infusion presented slightly stronger roasted peanut, rock sugar, and orchid scents. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of blackberry, blueberry, char, smoke, rock sugar, roasted peanut, and orchid that were backed by impressions of baked bread, tart cherry, and pomegranate. The following infusions saw the tea present new aromas of cedar, cherry, plum, cinnamon, and orange zest. New impressions of minerals, orange zest, grass, cinnamon, roasted almond, parsley, roasted grain, and plum appeared in the mouth. By the time I got to the last couple of infusions, the tea liquor was emphasizing a belatedly emerging popcorn note and lingering notes of minerals, cream, char, cedar, and rock sugar that were backed by roasted grain, roasted almond, and orange zest.

An approachable, but also satisfyingly complex Wuyi oolong, I could see this tea making a fantastic introduction to teas of this type or a highly enjoyable daily drinker for those who have an all-consuming love of Wuyi oolongs. One thing I especially appreciated about this tea was its smooth, creamy texture compared to some of the other teas of this style that I have tried. I also appreciated its lack of prominent bitterness. In the end, I would have no difficulty recommending this tea to curious drinkers or established Wuyi oolong fans. At least consider checking it out if you happen to fall into either of those groups.

I’m kind of surprised that I am the first person on Steepster to post a review of this tea. Like many of the teas marketed as Da Hong Pao on the market, this is not a single cultivar tea, but rather a blend. While Qi Dan is traditionally accepted to be the cultivar used in the production of so-called authentic Da Hong Pao, many others are used as well due to the rarity and expense of Qi Dan Da Hong Pao. Off the top of my head, I know that Rou Gui and Shui Xian are sometimes marketed as Da Hong Pao. Many producers, however, utilize a blend of cultivars to approximate the character of classic Da Hong Pao. These blends are often referred to as commercial Da Hong Pao and are designed to place the experience of one of the rarest and most sought-after Chinese teas in the hands of the average consumer. This tea, like so many, was a blend of oolong cultivars that had been charcoal roasted in order to approximate the experience of the primo stuff. I’m not sure which cultivars were used in this particular blend, but I can safely say that as blended or commercial Da Hong Pao goes, this one was pretty great.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 205 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, dark chocolate, and raisin. After the rinse, I found new aromas of roasted almond, char, smoke, prune, and fig. The first infusion then introduced hints of coffee, pomegranate, roasted walnut, and black cherry to the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of cedar, cinnamon, dark chocolate, allspice, raisin, smoke, char, roasted almond, and coffee that were backed by hints of roasted walnut and tobacco as well as a lingering caramel sweetness. Subsequent infusions saw vanilla and tobacco appear on the nose. Stronger notes of caramel and tobacco appeared in the mouth along with belatedly emerging notes of black cherry, nutmeg, fig, and prune. There was a pomegranate presence too, but it was very faint and did not make a point of sticking around long. New impressions of minerals, rock sugar, vanilla, grass, and roasted carrot also appeared along with a subtle creaminess. The final infusions offered notes of minerals, char, cedar, cream, rock sugar, and raisin that were balanced by notes of roasted almond, vanilla, and tobacco.

This was a ridiculously deep and complex Da Hong Pao blend that demonstrated respectable longevity and balance to go along with very nice texture in the mouth and a highly unique profile. Though it now appears to be out of stock, it was a steal at $0.26 per gram. I have long thought that some of the commercial Da Hong Pao blends get a bad rap, and I must state that this one did nothing to persuade me otherwise. I will definitely be on the lookout for future DHP blends from Old Ways Tea.

Now that I have had five days off to adequately recover from my snake bite, I am getting off my lazy butt and posting a few more tea reviews. For once, I am also trying to focus on some teas that I finished more recently. I recall finishing my sample pouch of this tea back around the end of July. Although Rou Gui is almost unbelievably hit or miss for me, I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 205 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of cinnamon, cream, pastry, and dried blueberry. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of char, pine, smoke, and roasted peanut. The first infusion then introduced hints of ginger and Merlot grape to the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of roasted peanut, cream, cinnamon, pine, char, and smoke that were balanced by some vegetal character reminiscent of cooked green beans and hints of black cherry and tobacco. Subsequent infusions introduced aromas of roasted walnut, tobacco, cooked green beans, black cherry, and blackberry. Hints of Merlot grape, ginger, and dried blueberry appeared on the palate along with stronger tobacco and black cherry notes and new impressions of minerals, grass, blackberry, roasted walnut, and cocoa. The final infusions emphasized lingering mineral, cinnamon, cream, roasted peanut, pine, and smoke notes that were chased by somewhat more fleeting grass, cooked green bean, tobacco, and black cherry flavors.

Kind of an odd, folksy tea, but also very appealing, I could see why this tea drew such positive reviews elsewhere. It displayed a very unique profile, a nice, thick body, and strong, full mouthfeel with solid longevity. Old Ways Tea features some higher end, more refined, and more tightly focused Rou Gui in its catalog, but one could do far, far worse than giving this tea a shot.

This was another somewhat more recent sipdown of mine, as I finished my sample pouch of this oolong at the end of July. I had been meaning to try it ever since acquiring it earlier in the year mostly because I had never before tried an unroasted Wuyi oolong. Overall, I found it to be a pretty interesting tea, though not the sort of thing I would want to have on a regular basis.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 195 F water for 7 seconds. This infusion was chased by 13 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted slightly woody, grassy aromas with floral and fruity hints. After the rinse, I noted distinct impressions of orchid, honey, raisin, roasted peanut, and cream on the nose. The first infusion then revealed a cedar aroma and stronger scents of orchid and honey. In the mouth, I detected notes of orchid, cream, cinnamon, and honey that were balanced by roasted peanut and cedar notes. The subsequent infusions saw the nose turn citrusy and mineral-laden. A slightly stronger roasted peanut note appeared in the mouth along with belatedly emerging raisin and grass notes. New impressions of minerals, pear, roasted almond, and butter appeared in the mouth along with hints of lemon zest. The final infusions emphasized lingering mineral, roasted peanut, roasted almond, and cream notes that were underscored by lemon zest impressions.

Seeing as how I tried this tea and Old Ways Tea’s 2016 Qilan very close together, it was fascinating for me to see just how much a roast can change a tea. Without the characteristic Wuyi roast, this tea took on a character somewhat reminiscent of a baozhong, but with the heavy mineral profile so typical of traditional Wuyi oolongs. Though I most definitely prefer my Wuyi oolongs roasted, this was still a fun little tea. I’m glad I took the opportunity to try it.