"Through his relationship with the organizers of China's National Tea Competition, David Lee Hoffman has gained unprecedented access to some of the most special Tie Guan Yin Oolongs being made today -- this is one of them." ---Chicago Tea Garden website.

If you are unfamiliar with Chicago Tea Garden and like 'pure' teas, then Chicago Tea Garden is a tea company that I highly suggest that you become familiar with. I had seen reviews of this particular offering from CTG pop up on a number of other tea blog sites and then when our own Nicole rated it so highly, trying it became a high priority for me. CTG has a great sample program where you can purchase samples of a number of their offerings for $3 shipped! I am certain they have to be losing money or just breaking even on this endeavor, but they must be confident that buyers will love what they try and will come back for more. Tonight seems like the perfect night to check out this offering as I just downed a highly caloric dinner from P.F. Chang's. Whenever I pig out, and especially on Chinese food, I like to drink oolong.

A nice little card with brewing parameters accompanied my sample so I followed it precisely and used a teaspoon of leaves per 6 oz of water, 190 degree water temp and a 30 second infusion. While preparing the water for my tea, I took a moment to examine my dry leaves. The little oolong fists are tiny and tightly rolled. They are pretty uniform in size and color. The aroma of the dry leaves is pretty floral in nature with a hint of that something that is hard to describe but generally signifies that the prepared cup will likely have a creamy mouthfeel and possibly even have a buttery flavor to it. I love green oolongs with those attributes so that is good thing!

First Infusion: With my first whiff of the aroma coming from the prepared cup and sip of the liquid, I knew that this one does live up to it's hype. This is most definitely a wonderful example of a Tie Guan Yin. The prepared cup is in a word: delicious. The cup is quite floral with a mild vegetal undertone. Many TGY are so floral and sweet that they are syrupy. I don't mind that aspect of their personalities, but I know that is a turnoff to many and this one does stop short of being too syrupy. The mouthfeel and flavor is quite creamy and there is even a touch of butter in this. It is smooth, silky, sweet and even rich in some aspects. A taster on Steepster actually described this as tasting a bit like rice pudding and I wholeheartedly agree!

Second Infusion: I prepared my second infusion exactly like my first with a 195 degree water and a 30 second infusion time. This one is actually better than the first infusion though the intensity of the creaminess has worn off. However, it is placed by a much stronger butter presence. This infusion is even less vegetal and more floral. It is also quite sweet and leaves a touch of dryness on the tongue. Heaven!

Third Infusion: This one is much like the second infusion, but the buttery presence is a bit more subdued. I found this fusion to be dominated more by the green oolong flavors than the butter and cream. The green oolong is floral and vegetal and not a far cry from a green tea. This is still quite sweet and delicious. I stopped after 3 infusions but I know these leaves were just getting started. Nicole claims to have gotten 8 infusions out of her leaves and I have little doubt that they would hold up if you cared to keep going.

This is an overall amazing example of a TGY and I suspect that as far as TGY goes, this is as good as it gets (ok, probably not but stay with me). Any oolong that is floral, creamy, mildly vegetal and really buttery is one that belongs in my personal tea stash! At $18.99 for a 50 grams, this one is a bit of splurge and may be out of reach for some drinkers. However, if you want to try it for yourself before committing to the larger quantity, then take CTG up on their $3 sample program. Highly recommended.

— To purchase Chicago Tea Garden Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Laura Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Laura's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Laura.

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