Gabriel Bertilson Send Message

This is my second oolong from Verdant. It comes in cute little red plastic bags, each containing 5 ounces. They say Tieguanyintea, along with Chinese characters that I can’t read. I assume Master Zhang used a Tieguanyin bag because that’s what he grows the most of. I know it is actually Rougui because of the aroma.

I bought 25 ounces, five measures. I’m on my last measure now.

I’ve typically been drinking it in a 10-ounce teacup, making two steepings at a time in a gaiwan, pouring them into the cup, and then drinking them. Ten seconds, then about five seconds more each time.

The leaves are rolled tightly in the Anxi style. The flavor is very dark and deep. The aroma is spicy. I guess it must be the aroma of Chinese cinnamon, but I haven’t smelled that before, as far as I know. It’s slightly reminiscent of coffee with its bracing aroma, but not as bitter. A big contrast with the light roast qilan that I’ve been drinking on alternate days.

Occasionally I notice a slight floral aroma reminiscent of paperwhite narcissus. I like that scent myself, though I know other people don’t.

This is one of my first teas from Verdant. I bought the 5 for $5 sample pack and was hooked. My first order was this and Yu Lu Yan Cha.

Actually, the tea I have is Qilan Light Roast, but this seems to be the page for the lightly roasted version of the tea, since there’s another page for Unroasted Qilan Wuyi Oolong.

So far this is my second time drinking this tea. It’s really floral, almost as if it’s been infused with flower petals, but it’s just the natural aroma of the tea cultivar. There’s another aroma, spicy and somewhat reminiscent of winter savory, an herb I have growing outside, and the mouthfeel is pretty dry.

Personally I really like floral aroma, and that’s why I chose this tea. When I bought it, I didn’t realize it was the same type as the Rare Orchid oolong that I bought from TeaSource, but I’m pleased because it’s delightful. Drinking flowers (so to speak) helps me relax. I might like it a little better if it weren’t so dry and had some savoriness to it.