Oct 24
Lynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "This is a bold oolong rather than a delicate one, and one the purveyor says goes well with food. I agree, but would add that on its own, it’s like drinking a fine liqueur and everything that an oolong should be. "
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9.5/10
This is my third tea from JING, and the third not to disappoint.My preference with oolongs is to brew them gong fu style, so I took out my little 6 oz. Yixing pot and went to work. Half filling the warmed pot with the long, dark , slightly twisted leaves, I poured on the first water (195F), then poured it off to rinse away any dust or dirt. The Chinese tea masters often refer to this as “foot water” and discard it. I refilled the pot with water, poured water over the pot to heat it, and waited just long enough for the water to evaporate from the sides of the pot. The resulting liquor was a dark golden straw color, redolent of the promised citrus and honey notes, though it smelled more like tangerine than orange to me. Either way, it was powerful and very nice. The fragrance translated into a smooth, sweet flavor that slides over the tongue, sweet, citrusy, and pleasantly astringent, living the mouth feeling at once dry, refreshed, and still filled with the lingering fragrance. This is a bold oolong rather than a delicate one, and one the purveyor says goes well with food. I agree, but would add that on its own, it’s like drinking a fine liqueur and everything that an oolong should be.
Second infusion: I used the same temperature water (a mistake) and let it infuse about ten seconds longer. Sadly, the tea bolted. The fragrance was strong and sweet, the color brilliant, but the sweetness was replaced by a bitter edge. My fault. Oolongs are unforgiving teas.
Third infusion: I cooled the water a bit, stirring for a moment with a cold spoon, then infused it once again only as long as it took the water to evaporate from the sides of the pot. This time everything was slightly lighter: color, fragrance, and flavor. But the sweetness had returned, especially along the sides of the tongue, and now there was a hint of vanilla on the back of the tongue, one that spread through my mouth during a pause between sips.
Fourth infusion: Lighter and slipping into the realm of delicate now, but still fragrant and tasty.
Since not everyone gong fus, I brewed the next cup according to JING’s directions: one tablespoon of tea steeped in 194F for three minutes. The resulting liquor was a darker color, golden with a red-brown tinge similar to a short-steeped black tea. The fragrance was the same— citrus and honey. The flavor is similar but, not surprisingly, not as intense as the gong fu brew. If that was a liqueur, then this is a fine wine, still very pleasing to nose and palate.
Second infusion: Infused with slightly cooler water for three minutes, the resulting liquor was fragrant and tasty.
Third infusion: The citrus fragrance is in full control now, and the tea is the sweetest of the three infusions.
Overall, this is a very bold, sweet, satisfying oolong, meant to be infused many times to get the full spectrum of its flavors and scents. If you do brew tea gong fu style, I encourage you to try it, but even if you don’t , don’t worry; you will not miss out on the complexity and pleasure of this tea. Highly recommended
— To purchase JING Tea Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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October 26th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
ooooh.. I have to try this tea. I also have enjoyed all the teas I have tried from Jing