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“mmm another tea from terri. As most of you know, oolongs and i don’t really get along, though the roasty variety does better by me. I’ve found a few that i’ve really loved, but on the whole if i...” Read full tasting note
“First off, thanks to Brett for sharing a sample of this tea with me. The leaves are rolled up tightly & are of a chocolate brown, with a warm honey aroma that is very enticing. After steeping,...” Read full tasting note
“A unique bouquet almost bursts with so many flavors, it’s difficult to narrow down exactly what is being tasted… The obvious notes include various types of honey — I taste buckwheat, tupelo,...” Read full tasting note
With a comparatively short history of production, Honey Oolong gained popularity following the devastating 1999 Taiwan earthquake.
Following the destruction, many tea farmers neglected their crops to rebuild their homes, allowing green leafhoppers to feast on treasured tea plants. The tea plants fought back, however, causing chemical transformations in the leaf, which increased polyphenolic content and tannins. Tea lovers found the result to be delightful, and contrary to traditional wisdom of harvesting the finest leaves the spring, Gui Fei is harvest in the summer (after “the bug bite”).
After a medium oxidation and a light roasting, this fragrant tea leaf reveals aromas of butter, caramel, and cinnamon. A truly unique flavor bouquet includes wild honey and roasted nuts…
Notes: wild honey, Indian spice, cinnamon, pecan
Infusion: 200ºF / 93ºC for 1-2 minutes
Origin: Dong Ding, Nantou County, Taiwan
Company description not available.
mmm another tea from terri. As most of you know, oolongs and i don’t really get along, though the roasty variety does better by me. I’ve found a few that i’ve really loved, but on the whole if i had to eliminate them from my tea cupboard, it wouldn’t kill me :)
This is a roasty oolong, but there is a really sweet note in this brew that i quite like. I had a few infusions of this and rather enjoyed them. I would recommend this to anyone who really likes roasty oolongs with a little sweetness :) (f oolongs were my thing this would likely be closer to an 85, but i can still taste OOLONG…which i’m not a fan of)
First off, thanks to Brett for sharing a sample of this tea with me.
The leaves are rolled up tightly & are of a chocolate brown, with a warm honey aroma that is very enticing. After steeping, the tea reminded me of honey nut cherrios, creating a mildly sweet & comforting cup, with a hint of cinnamon. The leaves are slow to unfurl, & resteep on & on. Once they open, they are beautiful, dark, & their aroma is like cinnamon & vanilla, &…well…honey nut cherrios!
Sounds amazing. I am adding this one to my wishlist. :)
Yummy! So funny, I drank butiki’s gui fei yesterday, and all I could think of was burnt toasts dripping with honey!
Thanks Terri, always interesting to hear what different people are tasting… I think I’ll have some for breakfast tomorrow and see if I’m tasting the cheerios as well! Usually in my head I’m thinking about pecan pie, but either way, it’s a fun leaf..
oohhh…toast dripping with honey…
ooohhh, pecan pie!
:)
It really is fun how everyone tastes things a little differently, but then we’ll all notice the same one thing (like honey).
A unique bouquet almost bursts with so many flavors, it’s difficult to narrow down exactly what is being tasted… The obvious notes include various types of honey — I taste buckwheat, tupelo, wildflower, but I’m quite certain that my honey palate is hardly delicate enough to make those claims, but anyway..
When I asked a grower why the process of producing Gui Fei went so deep into the summer, he answered quickly… “Oh, well of course, because we have to wait for the bug bite.” I thought that was hilarious. Wait what? The bug bite?? Was he joking? No. The “bug bite” he was referring to was the invasion of green leafhoppers, which alter the chemical composition of the leaf, and apparently impart its unique flavor profile.
Also, I usually give it a rinse and then jump in with 20-30 second infusions, noting that the 2nd and 3rd infusion result in a unusually thick liquor which is sweet and carries a fairly impressive hui gan… Later infusions, say 4-6 will bring more floral and spicy notes, but the sweet fruits lay off a bit.. Also, the leaves don’t seem to want to unfurl, so I’d add 15-30 seconds in subsequent infusions beyond the 3rd.
So all in all, its an oddly addicting oolong, and highly unique, so please try and let me know what type of tasting notes you are able to pull out, curious to hear!
Flavors: Butter, Caramel, Cinnamon, Honey, Nuts
