Green Tung Ting Oolong Tea (60)

I’m assuming this is the tea I’m reviewing (purchased 100g for 450NT).

I don’t normally buy TenRen, as I think it’s overpriced, but apparently they are trusted when it comes to provenance.

Definitely a green version of Dong Ding. Rolled leaves are dark green and have a pleasantly fresh grassy pear aroma.
Infusion gives off baked apples, cream and gentle spice.
Taste is more apply and bitter vegetable greens with a slight chemical taste on the finish (at least on first few infusions).

This is good, but not great. A fine daily drinker.

Pale yellow hinting at chartreuse. Wonderful aromas reminiscent of green tea, but with a slight maltiness. Light to medium in body and delicate, this tea displays a lovely malty sweetness balanced with a very long finish which is quite pleasing and very mildly astringent. Cooked squash and notes of fresh mint are the memorable subject playing counterpoint to the classic fresh grassy undertones seem to have an almost lactic buttery roundness which enhances the light mouth-feel and gives the illusion of a more full bodied tea. The astringency mixed with notes of mint seem to have a similar effect, at least on the brain, as Hydroxy-alpha sanshool which seems to almost delicately numb the gums and tongue as you drink multiple cups and would probably be a perfectly wonderful tea to pair with Szechuan cuisine. The leaves unroll beautifully and slowly to reveal clearly handpicked lightly toasted tippy short stemmed selections which yield extra steeps. This tea is perfect for anyone who is in love with green tea but would like to get a little more bang for the buck from an everyday tea that drinks like a special occasion tea.

I picked up this at Ten Ren. This is the $60/lb version of the Green Tung Ting Oolong Tea – there is no other way to differentiate between the different types available for purchase at the shop other than price. It wasn’t the cheapest, and it wasn’t the most expensive. I found it rather off. It was dry, like a white tea, but tasted fresh like green, and I didn’t notice the subtle flowery notes that I associate with Oolong. That said, I didn’t find it unpleasant and I will continue drinking it. Which is a good thing since the sales clerk wouldn’t let me purchase any less than 4 oz of the tea.