Review: The Exotic Teapot Tieguanyin Oolong

Jan 01

Review: The Exotic Teapot Tieguanyin Oolong

Oolong Tea, The Exotic Teapot, Ti Kuan Yin Tea Add comments

Dan’s Teaview Snapshot

"This is a nice-enough "green-flavor" Oolong, with a toned down vegetal flavor overall, and a semi-sweet finish. However, some odd after-tastes and a somewhat weak cup flavor may turn off any serious Oolong aficionado."

Dan’s Teaview:	5.5/10
Other Teaviews:	Vanessa gave it 6/10, Lynn gave it 8/10, Brad gave it 7/10
Your Reviews:	Add your review »

As one might surmise from the name, The Exotic Teapot specializes in blooming teas, hand-tied teas, etc. Something a little out of the ordinary, for sure. Even their "basic" teas seem to have extraordinary elements to them (organic, unique sources, uncommon blends, etc). The two oolong offerings they have in their catalog include a Formosa Oolong, and this tea - the "iron goddess of Mercy", a premium Chinese Oolong.

This specific sample from TET is most notably different from other Oolongs in its presentation. Typically, Chinese Oolong is either rolled into longer leaves, or packed into tight little ball-like pellets. This tea takes the latter approach, but in a lazy manner. There are all sorts of tea leaf dustings in the mix, as well as some sloppily-rolled balls, and some leaves that were apparently not balled up at all. If presentation is your thing, I would guess you might be appalled by this tea, visually. That said, while I definitely appreciate the beauty in the quality control department, it's ultimately the taste that counts. Let's see how that measures up.

Upon first whiff of the dried leaf, I was expecting to be unimpressed with this tea, as the vegetal grassiness eminent in the aroma was not appealing to my tastes. However, I was very pleased with the end result in the cup. I brewed up two teaspoons of tea in sub-boiling water for two minutes, and stuck with this for repeated infusions and fresh cups. A two minute brew is recommended as a general across-the-board suggestion for all teas by The Exotic Teapot, which I do take issue with, considering the overall vagueness there, but alas, I found that to be a fine starting point with this tea. The cup brews up a gentle shade of yellow-green and smells faintly vegetal, but not quite so much as the dried leaf. At initial sip, the taste seems bland, but as the cup cools, the flavor intensifies a bit.

This is a nice-enough "green-flavor" Oolong, with a toned down vegetal flavor overall, and a semi-sweet finish. However, after the sweetness in the finish wears off, I found a metallic coppery taste lingering. In addition, the flavor in the cup may be a bit too light for any serious Oolong aficionado.

— To purchase The Exotic Teapot Tieguanyin 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.