Taiwan Osmanthus Oolong Tea

My previous experience with osmanthus oolong left me craving more and I really enjoyed the notes of apple and apricot. My first steep of this tea more than met my expectations and while the flavors are somewhat different than I encountered with the last variety I tried, there was still a fruit-like aspect which appealed to my sweet tooth. Rather than apples and apricots, this tea leans more towards a peach-like flavor. It is full of sweetness, with a subtle floral aspect from the oolong.

Make sure to check out the full review on my blog
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2013/10/22/tuesday-tea-taiwan-osmanthus-oolong-tea-teavivre.html

It’s been way too long since I had time for a proper tea tasting. After my last note, where I mentioned that a fried was seriously sick, I cough either the mother of all colds, a mild flu, or some combination of the two. I had terrible cold symptoms for over a week, and it only cleared up on the 29th. I couldn’t smell or taste tea properly because of the disease, and the decongestants and fever meds certainly didn’t help me stay awake.

Anyway, today is mostly free, so I’m going to try to work my way through this and maybe another of Angel’s samples today. Thanks again Angle!

First Steep
I opened the tea and steeped it in my gaiwan for 15 seconds with near-boiling water. The aroma immediately started to fill the room, even though the gaiwan was still covered. It’s a bit overwhelming for me, I’m not used to tea smelling quite that strongly. Regardless, the taste and mouth-feel are both very pleasant. While the flavor of osmanthus is very prominent the vegetal base green oolong is still present to help balance the flavor out. Also, it’s amazingly sweet, much more so than I expect even from a green oolong. The mouth-feel is a nice balance between buttery and the classic high mountain smooth feeling, which works very well with the flavors of the tea to make the experience very relaxing. The whole experience is very delightful, especially after I got used to the aroma. IT wil be very interesting to see how the flavor develops and how long the Osmanthus flavor will remain prominent.

After Action Report
The next two steeps (Because it was really weak after three) were basically characterized by the osmanthus flavor predictably fading faster than the base oolong. By the third cup the flavor was very generic, but most green oolongs aren’t that great beyond 3 anyways, so I guess that can’t be held against it. It’s a very nice tea, it’s just not great.

More nuggets of oolongy goodness from Teavivre. Thank you for the free sample.

My first thought on opening this was that it had a really thick heady floral aroma, like a tropical garden heavy with scent. The wet leaf was not as strong, but the liquor carried this aroma through big time. It’s a thick brew too, sweet and light but strongly floral. There are notes of peach in there, trying to make themselves felt, and the sweetness of the whole tea lasts well on the tongue. The oolong is also there in the background, but I felt it was drowned too much by the osmanthus. I can certainly see why people would like this tea, but it is not really to my taste. I could imagine drinking it when the mood was on me, but not on a regular basis. That does not mean this is a bad tea. Far from it. As usual, you can taste the quality from Teavivre, but alas my palate prefers the unflavoured oolongs.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the osmanthus but am enjoying it quite a bit. I favor black teas, but was pleased to get several oolong samples from Teavivre, and its always fun to try new teas from them. I’ve had good experiences from pretty much everything they’ve sent me. This oolong has a subtle floral aroma. The brew is smooth and refreshing- pleasantly floral but not overpowering. I look forward to several more infusions.

Thank you Angel for this sample. This tea reminded me of the fact that I absolutely LOVE oolongs! It has been a long time since I’ve had a cup of one. I love the bits of white-yellow flower petals mixed with some stems and rolled deep emerald tea leaves. The first steep was very bitter. I think I steeped it too long. The second one was perfect. The nice nutty floral and the warm green oolong is great! This is a delicious tea! It can last several steeps!

Hello and happy holidays! While it’s a little belated, it has been crazy in my life. I had surgery on Christmas eve and have looked forward to drinking some tea. I decided to start with this one because it sounded so interesting. This is another sample I received from Teavivre, so thanks once again! :)

After steeping this tea, I took in the amazing smell of the warm, wet leaves. It definitely smells like a nice sweet oolong. The taste of this tea is very similar. It has a floral sweetness and smoothness to it that really complements the natural sweetness of the oolong leaves. It is a new and different kind of tea that is one example of the types of tea that keep me so interested in trying as many as I can. This relaxing tea was a great choice to come back to after my crazy, heavily medicated holiday.

I don’t know much about osmanthus, but I definitely know that I love the scent of it. This oolong’s aroma is an interesting mixture of sweet cream, floral, and gao shan character. The strength of the osmanthus mainly remains in the aromas, primarily adding mouthfeel and aftertaste when it comes to the liquor, which I appreciate. The Ali Shan leaves are nice and I am always happy when added flavors refrain from overpowering the natural components of the leaves.

So, as far as flavored teas go, this one is quite excellent. Great body, nice flavor profile with classic high mountain flavor and just enough added florals to round out the character. While the osmanthus is a little too potent in the wet leaf scent and the aroma trapped under the gaiwan lid, the balance in the liquor is just right. I am perhaps most pleased with this tea’s progression through steeps. Neither the osmanthus or the Ali Shan flavors “win out” at any point during the session, instead gradually rising and falling together. Many times with some jasmine green specimens, for example, it seems as though I am drinking two overlapping teas during one session, as the floral aspect is very strong in the beginning, while the actual tea’s characteristics take a few steeps to shine through. Not so with this tea.

Thanks Teavivre!

Taiwan Osmanthus Oolong Tea (Flavored) has the dry scent of, as you can expect, osmanthus. Holy bells. That is some flower power right there. It’s like sticking your nose into the center of a Peachy Ring; after one whiff, you want to brush the sugar off your nostrils. The steeped aroma is much more savory, with the peach hanging subtly overhead.

Our first infusion yields that odd tongue-sensation that you get when two divisions of the flavor spectrum are sandwiched together, in a space that just too close for comfort. Sweet and Savory are crammed into a tiny elevator, forced to squeeze up against each other, and neither one is happy about the situation–which leaves the drinker… Full review here: http://snooteablog.com/2013/10/15/snooty-tea-review-teavivre-round-3/

Tea provided by Teavivre for review

Osmanthus dominates the flavour of this tea, I had a hard time tasting/enjoying the oolong. The osmanthus isn’t an unpleasant or bold flavour, but it’s the primary flavour.

Overall I have mixed feelings about this tea because I don’t enjoy overly floral teas. My husband liked it and said it reminded him of ginseng flavour (I agree). So it’s not something I’d buy, but I know a lot of other people enjoy floral teas. I’d recommend it for people that love floral tea with a mild and unobtrusive tea base.

Steep parameters:
400ml water, sample (7g), 1 steep (2m)

Thanks go to Angel of TeaVivre for this tea sample!

I prefer robust teas and find oolong selections to be a little lighter in flavor and kick than I need, particularly in the mornings. However, I am starting to enjoy oolong and green teas at those times when I don’t need to be jolted out of my morning stupor.

I opened the sample of this tea and was greeted by an earthy aroma and little rolled green leaf pellets. I steeped the pellets at 212 degrees for two minutes as recommended by TeaVivre.

The brewed color was light gold with a greenish tint. The aroma was slightly floral and grassy.

My first taste of this tea produced a very faint sweet, earthy, and grassy flavor. In all fairness, this is the beginning of Fall and allergy season here at home, and my sinuses are already being assaulted.

After a few more sips, the sweet, floral, and slightly leafy flavors became more pronounced. The tea was smooth throughout without bitterness. A very gentle floral aftertaste seemed to remain. Even though I live in the Southeast, where Osmanthus is said to thrive, I don’t remember running into it in my neck of the woods. I therefore would not be a good judge of the authenticity of Osmanthus flavor in this tea.

Although I initially struggled to register the complete flavors of this blend (again, this could be due to my allergy-challenged sinuses this morning), once I did, I found them to be quite pleasant, peaceful, and polished. I would enjoy sipping this selection in a tea room with friends on a Saturday afternoon while watching THE USC (University of South Carolina) football.