One River Tea

I received four Dancongs from One River Tea, all of which are on the roasty side for me. I’ve always wanted to try Osmanthus Fragrance, though it seems that most of them, like this one, are heavily roasted. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml porcelain pot using 195F water for 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

The dry aroma is of osmanthus, chrysanthemum, buttered popcorn, peach, and sour roast. The first steep has nice floral, buttery aromas and top notes of orchid and osmanthus, with roast, wood, minerality, and sourness in the background that might get out of hand later. I get a pleasant peachy aftertaste a few minutes after drinking the tea. The next steep also has nice aromas and flavours of butter, osmanthus, peach, grass, honey, zucchini, apricot, and other florals, backed by a prominent roast. The third steep is similarly aromatic, with a lovely stonefruit and floral aftertaste. However, keeping it in the mouth for any longer than necessary is a mistake, as the tea is sour and astringent and reminds me of pencil shavings (more kindly described as woody?). By steep five, the florality is integrating more into the body of the tea, but the roast, wood, and minerality are becoming even stronger. The slightly sour, floral/grassy/buttery aftertaste is still pleasant. The next few steeps still have buttery floral elements, but the roast, minerality, wood, and sourness are taking over and the aftertaste is not as prominent. The tea remains floral to the end, although the bitterness is very pronounced.

This tea is kind of a Jekyll and Hyde. I love the floral, fruity aroma and aftertaste, but the roast overwhelms these flavours in the mouth. I’d say that this tea might become more integrated with time, but it’s from 2021 and I’m not sure how much longer it might take.

Thin body and very mineral without the depth of flavor I want from dancong oolong. Three steeps in I did get a mild generic stonefruity aftertaste followed by a very nice cooling sweetness. Too drying for my likes. After 4 steeps, the leaf went into the fridge for cold brewing.

shrug

Leafhopper, I don’t know if this is an intentionally smoked tea. If it was roasted with a wood fire instead of in a machine, then maybe that accounts for the lingering campfire aroma and taste. It’s a moderate smoke for me.

The tea is somewhat weak. I don’t mean thin in flavor but there’s not quite enough volatility to the aromatic compounds. It’s rather earthy tasting with a muted earthy-smoky-buttery-citrusy aroma, a bit of bite in the throat and muddled aftertaste that most resembles buttery osmanthus. Overall, for some reason, reminds me of a Japanese black tea.

Decent tea, though not a standout lapsang souchong. I have been spoiled by Old Ways Tea’s Wuyi black teas :$

This dancong oolong is truly like a pleasant introduction. A warm smile, some lighthearted conversation, nothing too deep, almost entirely inoffensive. Silky, lingers for a bit but without the magic that makes one remember every word exchanged and every sparkle in the eye. One River Tea calls this a humble tea; I agree. For a dancong, this has to be one of the gentlest I’ve tried.

Thank you, Leafhopper :)

2020 harvest.

7g, 100mL duanni, water off the boil

Like the rest of my roasted oolong reviews, I am still not great at picking out distinct notes. Takes some getting more used to the taste I guess? I don’t dislike them in the way I used to at least, though there is a limit to the amount I am willing to shell out for them.

Smells roasted, can’t pick out specifics.

In the pre-warmed pot, something sweet like cinnamon and smoky and also vegetal like tomato, though the last could be due to the time I used my duanni to also brew kabusecha lol. Haven’t had much time to use it lately.

Wet leaves exude strong smoke. Emptied cup smells sweet in a buttery sort of way.

3s: smoke and light sweetness initially, then a slight sweet aftertaste that lingers.

3s again: stronger on the smoke. a slight touch of bitter and medicinal. a bit of a tickle in the throat, but not sure if it’s because of a slight cough that day.

11s: bitter! Leaves a minty cooling note on tongue.

12s: bitter and minty.

10s 2x: a celery like aftertaste with dark chocolate notes throughout.

15s: something of a berry note.

My notes stopped here, but if I’m remembering correctly, I did do a couple more infusions. An interesting tea, though personal tastes still lean towards lighter roasts for me.

2020 Osmanthus Black
One River Tea
5.1g, 200-205f brita filtered water, 130mL gaiwan

I can’t find any descriptions on their site about this, but it was included as a free 7g sample with the other teas I ordered. A loose leaf black tea with dried osmanthus leaves. The smell is very sweet and familiar, something almost citrus like, though I’m not sure why since I don’t remember ever smelling osmanthus before. The only thoughts I can discern after reading about the smell of osmanthus described is it smells of peaches and dish soap, like an Hermes perfume from the Jardin line (most of which are quite expensive soapy kind of smell).

5s: very floral. Slightly sweet with a slight sweet aftertaste. Leaves smell like a very floral black tea.

10s: hints of smoke. Other than that, similar to before.

Stopped taking detailed notes since this one was fairly linear. A very floral tea (in an almost chokingly floral sense smell wise), slightly sweet, but simultaneously falling flat for me. Wouldn’t purchase. Both of my friends who tried it liked it though.