Jade Oolong "Four Seasons Spring"

I cold brewed this is the refrigerator overnight and it is absolutely divine! Buttery lilac nirvana! Upping the rating a tad. :-)

Oh lordy lordy, this is delicious! I only bought a tiny sample of this (as always, thanks bulk jars at Central Market!), but I already know I’m going to be buying more.

Dry, the leaves trigger a strong smell-related memory of Filipino cooking. I say this because my neighbors growing up were Filipino, and for all the parties they held (which was a lot) they always cooked a spread of different rice, noodle, and fish dishes that filled the house with this rich, welcoming, savory aroma. If I had to narrow it down, I would say it smells like white rice with a freshly fried eggroll.

Brewed, it smells like warm broth, very similar to the dry smell. Upon sipping, I taste a familiar greenness, but a rich creamy mouthfeel that reminds me of my beloved kukicha by Rishi. There is no bitterness or vegetableness (not that I don’t love those things too!) at all. I taste butter and fluffy white rice. I can see how others describe fresh moss, as there is a little aged depth to the flavor. I can smell a little floral edge to it, but I’m definitely not getting anything I would describe as ‘fruity’.

Absolutely yum. I think savory, buttery, creamy, greenness is my favorite tea flavor profile. Jade oolong has just rocketed to the top of my favorites! :O

I’ve tried a lot of oolongs and I’m finding I tend to prefer the greener ones over the more heavily roasted ones. This is an oolong that I think anyone who likes tieguanyins would enjoy. It doesn’t have as many subtle nuances of flavor as a tieguanyin, but it tastes wonderful just the same. It’s kind of floral and grassy, a bit leafy/mossy, and very fresh, with almost a tingly sensation in the aftertaste. This tastes good any time of day, and has a bright, refreshing quality. I think it’s going to become a cupboard staple of mine.

I love, love, love, love, love this tea. It is my first oolong that I have appreciated, very delicate and earthy and I added honey cause I couldn’t help myself, was craving sweet, and it was just tres wonderful. It is my new most favorite tea.

I snagged some of this tea while I was at Whole Foods. My most recent paycheck was attached with a rather large sum so I figured I’d treat myself and buy a new tea to try. I’m glad I did.

I selected Jade Oolong from Rishi Tea. It has been years since I had my last cup of oolong tea and with Jade Oolong I’m glad to have an oolong selection back in my cupboard. I also needed a change from the Gunpowder green tea I had been drinking every morning for the past three to four years.

This tea contains a very floral taste and it is very delicious. I liked it from the first sip and already want to purchase more. This tea is certainly a winner.

One of my favorites! This tea is very similar to Teavana’s discontinued Iron Buddha Oolong. A greener oolong which lacks the roasted nuances of Iron Goddess of Mercy or Tae Guan Yin, but instead shines with a clean, refreshingly mossy floral depth. I most enjoy it steeped longer than the directions suggest which increases the astringency. Large deep green leaves edged with golden red and brown unfurl beautifully to fill the cup or strainer. Mixes wonderfully with light fruit tisanes and white teas and can be steeped multiple times.

Hey, big surprise! I am drinking an Oolong! Really though I do my best to have variety and not do all Oolong all the time, it is hard since I do have a lot of it. It would be sad if my blog became a one note tea horse, yes that is a bit of tea history humor for you. You have to forgive me since I am currently reading a book on tea history and culture so I am distracted by my Armchair Historian tendencies.

Jade Oolong (Four Seasons Spring) by Rishi Tea comes from the glorious land of Taiwan. I, however, did not travel to Taiwan to procure this tea, instead I found it on the wall of tea at Whole Foods who thankfully have a decent selection of teas when I need a fix. I do love getting packages in the mail, but being able to smell the fresh teas before buying is a wonderful experience. The aroma of this beautifully spring green Oolong is unsurprisingly quite green! Not very vegetal, more the aroma of fresh vegetation on a spring day mixed with new blooming flowers and a touch of freshly mown hay (or woodruff for the herbal types.) This might be the mildest Oolong I have yet sniffed!

Brewing the tea brings out a stronger aroma and lots of interesting notes. At first we notice the floral notes that are mild but very fresh, like lilacs, following that there is that delightful chestnut aroma that I love in Green Oolongs. As it steeps a little more the tea takes on an herbaceous tone mixing thyme with the floral notes and a hint of moss. The brewed liquid reminds me of lilac with a slight whisper of allspice.

The taste of this Oolong is exceptionally mild, an excellent palate cleansing tea. The tea has a vegetal taste, reminiscent of green beans and fresh grass. It finishes a tingly pine needle note and a mellow sweet aftertaste. This tea is very refreshing and cleansing, and pleasantly light if you are in the mood for that. Usually I prefer a stronger taste from my Oolong, but I will certainly keep this around for after a heavy meal to remove said heaviness.

Photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/09/rishi-tea-jade-oolong-tea-review.html

one of my favourite teas. I prefer it over a tiguanyin, but just barely. A nice commotion of floral aromas, light and crisp tastes, and slightly sweet.

I like to decant the first couple infusions and then sip the sweet nectar right off the naked leaf from ma guywan, ya dig me? It’s pretty rad – traversing each unfurled leaf, knifing along white porcelain, drawing flavours from the tip of the bud spining to the pluck of the stem
Lo, tea.

After multiple infusions, considering this light oolong for frequent drinking. I didn’t pick up floral notes as often as I’d done with my other favorite, Ali Shan. But I sensed fresh notes of moss and, indeed, the smooth body and fruity finish mentioned in the seller’s description. An enthusiastic thumbs up!

This is a perfumey tea. I liked it a lot better than the Iron Goddess. It has more of what makes the tieguanyin interesting. The only thing which turns me off, is that it’s quite dainty. Albeit, that’s not a bad thing. I would enjoy this with perfumey entrees, sushi, and even fruity deserts. I’ll bet it would even pair well with some indian food. I prepared it gongfu style, with a gaiwan.