Ancient Snow Shan Red Oolong

If Vietnamese red teas are too strong and rustic for you, consider this oolong. It has a very similar taste profile without the harsh stomach. A beautiful tea, silky smooth with strong wet rock minerality and a slight rasp on the tongue. Alluring character that evokes damp smoke and tobacco notes weaving through a pristine high mountain clouded forest. This tea manages to capture citrus, red fruits, osmanthus, leather, cocoa and tobacco in equal parts. It also has a strong calming effect.

Thanks for sharing, Martin!

First of 7 teas from SiamTeas Clubbox January ’23 – Tuyet Shan

I vaguely remember having some Shan Tuyet — Red Buffalo oolong, but also some other Vietnamese teas. But it seems it was pre-Steepster time for me (I have been on r/tea pretty much active), because no notes for those teas here. Also I have decided for whole Tuyet Shan CLUBBOX, becaue it will be interesting example how different processing can make different teas, though used same plant from same region.

Why I took oolong at first? Well, I was in mood for oolong. And this is also Wuyi style oolong — something I have so very limited experience with.

The leaves look amazing. It’s not rolled into small balls, instead it is long and sharp, wiry. After adding 5 grams to preheated 125 ml gaiwan, it was very strongly mineral, almost licking a stone or cave aroma (somebody wrote it somewhere before and I still remember that) feel and I was afraid it won’t be my jam.

I have decided to steep it as suggested by vendor. “That is, 3-4g/100ml might steep at a sequence of 1-1-2-3 minutes for a total of 4 infusions. At this, each infusion surprises with an individual taste pattern of its own.” which is quite interesting, as I tend to do first steeps short, maybe even 10 seconds long. I did completely no rinse, because there was absolutely no dust to be flushed away.

I did 60 seconds long steep and well, I am not used for such long steep with boiling water. My fingers are a little sore from very hot gaiwan, but it’s fine, they need to get used to. I got also very dark liquid, with orange-red colour, with red fruits aroma, mostly I think about raspberries, with they tart aftertaaste, with sweet note, but it’s fruit sweetness, not sugar, stevia whatsoever. Mouthfeel is very long, smooth and actually no minreal notes to be found! How aroma of dry leaf can be misleading!

2nd steep was again one minute long.
This time it is with we leaves already, so I assume flavours will be very similar, but stronger. But anything can change, so I wouldn’t be surprised to notice other things. I took a sniff on wet leaves in gaiwan and it is still mineral, with red fruits. Mouthfeel is great, very coating, but also so smooth, with flavours towards mineral part of the flavour wheel, however, I would rather say slightly nutty, also peanuts here. Certainly it’s less sweet, a bit burnt-like. Aftertaste and mouthfeel are long again.

Third steep, 2 minutes! Isn’t that too much?
I guess not. It leans again to different flavour profile. Now it is sweet again, a little bit like licorice root? It’s a bit sticky too. Flavours are a bit more woody, with sweet aftertaste, aroma is weaker mineral from dry leaf. Yes, in flavours it is woody-herbaceous combo. Oak wood with hops. That doesn’t make any sense! That long mouthfeel is amazing about this tea!

4th steep, 3 minutes. Even longer? Fine!
It tastes like washed out all other steeps together. Not bad, of course, but much weaker level of flavours and aromas. Mouthfeel remains long, smooth, almost velvet like.