Rougui

Day 4 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. I opted for a heavy-handed leaf when I gong fu’d this, partly because it’s a chilly day and partly because I didn’t want to leave half the packet languishing in my tea drawer. This generally isn’t my favorite type of oolong, so to me this seems fine but not astonishing, you know? If I want something with a heavy roast, I’d rather reach for a tie guan yin than a rock tea. The heavy minerality just isn’t my scene. So to me this seems like a pretty standard mid-range rougui – roasted, tastes like rock soup, and despite all the digital ink spilled by countless tea companies (and my own love of cinnamon) I still can’t really discern a cinnamon note. But I think that’s more about how rouguis generally taste to me and less a reflection of the quality of this specific one.

Adventageddon Day 4 – Tea 3/4

Gongfu!

There was actually quite a lot of tea stuffed into this little packet so I split it in half and will finish the rest another time. I love this tea though; made me so happy to see a Rougui included – especially on a day I was working from home and could take the time to brew this gongfu in my nice, relaxing tea space. Medium bodied in addition to a more golden, medium roast with notes of brown butter, lightly charred peanuts, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and pleasantly woody tree bark. Even a bit of a raisin-like fruit undertone that pushes this into a borderline spice or fruit cake territory.

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cpM5NuW5Z/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAOZJPquY_w