It is remarkable just how markedly different two teas of the same style can be. Yesterday’s ti kuan yin, a Taiwanese one, had a sharp nutty character and a wonderful dry aroma. Today, we’re drinking a ti kuan yin produced in Fujian Province, China, and there’s not a hint of nuttiness. But it still smells lovely, as its name suggests: Clear and Fragrant Style Ti Kuan Yin from Tea Trekker.

This is one of several ti kuan yins sold by Tea Trekker, one that they describe as being less oxidized and more fragrant than traditional ti kuan yins. Yet this is more oxidized than yesterday’s ti kuan yin. Clearly, there is quite a liberal range of possible oxidation levels for ti kuan yin teas.

Like other darker oolongs, this ti kuan yin has a nose dominated by the deep aroma of stonefruits. Think plum or peach. It reminds me a little of the jam in hot jam donuts: rich, fruity sweetness. A note of cabbage-like vegetables is fairly subdued; on the whole, this tea comes across as more fruity than vegetal.

The second infusion reveals a tangy, acidic flavour, especially as the tea cools. But already by the third, this is becoming less dominant as the tea seems to smooth out. So far, I have had four great infusions, and I’m guessing I’ll get at least another two or three.

Clear and Fragrant Style Ti Kuan Yin is available from Tea Trekker.

Like my artsy fartsy photo?

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Clear and Fragrant Style Ti Kuan Yin from Tea Trekker | One comment |
Post categories: Oolong tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Tea Trekker, ti kuan yin

It’s going to be a week of ti kuan yin here on Tea Finely Brewed. Over the past few months I’ve accumulated a nice little collection of ti kuan yin teas from different merchants, so I thought it would be interesting to review them all in the same week.

At a glance, here’s what I’ll be reviewing:

• A Taiwanese ti kuan yin from Serenity Teahouse
• Tea Trekker’s clear and fragrant-style ti kuan yin from Fujian Province, China
• Orange Tea Co.’s ti kuan yin, pictured above
• Chicago Tea Room’s Competition Grade ti kuan yin

If you hate ti kuan yin, check back next week:)

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | A Week of Ti Kuan Yin | 5 comments |
Post categories: Oolong tea
Post tags: Chicago Tea Garden, Orange Tea Co, Serenity Teahouse, Tea Trekker, ti kuan yin

When I was a kid I dreamed of becoming a writer when I was older. Over the years that dream has faded, but I still enjoy putting pen to paper. This morning, as I drank Tea Trekker’s Bai Lin Gong Fu with the intention of reviewing it, it suddenly struck me how writing a tea review is great practice for a writer, because it forces you to be deliberate and thoughtful about the words you use.

When I write a review, I usually base it around two or three words or phrases, which I think accurately depict something about the tea ? either its appearance, flavour, aroma or character. You could condense any of my reviews down into two or three words or phrases, and you would have roughly the same thing, minus all the contextualizing with which I pad the reviews.

So then, to talk about today’s tea: Bai Lin Gong Fu from Tea Trekker. The first phrase I think of describes its appearance: pine needles of black and gold. The tea is thin like spider legs, but long.

I decide to prepare it in the gaiwan, which is something of an experiment. Two teaspoons and about a minute of steeping time (all very imprecise, I confess). It seems to work. The tea yields a brew that seems sweeter than other Chinese black teas, though on the second infusion that sweetness has disappeared and seems to have been replaced by a mild saltiness. So then, do I describe this tea as sweet, or salty? Words. They’re tricky things.

Tea Trekker’s description of this tea indicates that Bai Lin is a town near Panyang, which produces Golden Monkey tea. The similarities are fairly obvious. Both are buttery, with a more delicate mouthfeel than black teas from India or Ceylon.

For a while I struggled to think of how to describe this tea’s character. I considered the word bold, but that doesn’t quite fit. Eventually, I found the word: darting. This contrasts with Golden Monkey, which I consider to be a rounded, full-bodied sort of tea. Bai Lin Gong Fu is rich but playful.

Bai Lin Gong Fu is available from Tea Trekker for $15 for 1/4 LB.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Bai Lin Gong Fu from Tea Trekker | No comment |
Post categories: Black tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bai Lin, Tea Trekker