When rinsing the tea, the scent that's left in the washed cup is a very sweet dark caramel. The taste is exactly as advertised, that of roasted yams, with a distinct hint of smoke in the exhale. I brewed by cooling the water a bit, which emphasized more of the implicit sweetness. I've discovered that hotter brews tend to bring out more of a "leafy" character. This is the first charcoal roasted tea I've tried, I've never tried the classics from Wuyi, Dancong or Anxi, but if this is a good representation of those styles, I have a lot of oolong to look forward to.
This tea surpasses all other oolongs. It's so fragrant, complex, and smooth. My only complaint is that I can't get more than 2 steeps from it, and it's really only the first steep that has a lot of flavor.
It’s small, but we refill it a few times. It’s good porcelain and my wife loves it.
Bought two of these cups. They are nice for sipping with the wife and having a conversation.
I received a sample of Red Jade together with other teas I purchased a few years ago. I tried it when I received it, but I didn't like it back then - probably due to wrong brewing technique, as well as undeveloped palate. That's the reason why I left it there for such a long time! I came back to this tea today and found it incredibly complex and layered. I am still not sure I like it 100%, but it surely is one to try.
I brewed 4 g of tea in 120 ml of water at 90 °C using the gong fu method. The first brew (45 s) was very sweet and it had the kind of bitter-sweetness of molasses or chestnut honey; the bitterness was just a tiny hint, which balanced and completed the sweetness well. There was also a hint of something floral - maybe jasmine. The aftertaste is definitely sweet and honey-like. The second brew (35 s) added a lot more of that floral element to it: it was the main thing, overpowering everything else, though the aftertaste remained roughly same and added more woody notes. As I am not a fan of jasmine, I found this less appealing than the first brew, though I appreciated the complexity and evolution.
The third brew was longer, at roughly a minute, in order to experiment with strength. This was more of the same, with the floral element taking the leading role; it was however more muted, and there was an astringent note which I found very interesting as it balanced the floral taste (though it was very probably due to the longer infusion and I guess many won't like it!).
The fourth infusion led to less floral taste and more wood and astringency. The aftertaste also became less sweet.
Overall I am quite happy with this tea and although it is not among my favourites, I think it is well worth a try!
My mother-in-law purchased this tea for me because this is her favorite. She favors products from Taiwan so I just assumed this is a good green tea and she naturally favored it because it is from Taiwan. After my first cup it by far my favorite! It is fresh, aromatic and truly engages my taste buds with slight notes of sweet floral. This is my only “go to” green tea!
I like it very much. It reminds me of light roasted Tie Guan Yin. But price….
I got all 3 colors to store different oolong teas. Very useful to bring just enough tea to share with friends at group luncheons. Also bought some for friends as gifts.
This is one of the best black teas I've tried, very smooth and with a thick, sweet molasses flavor, it's quickly becoming my go-to morning cup
For the price, you really can't do better for a milk oolong. It's soft and creamy and smooth, everything you want in a milk oolong. I would have been happy paying twice the price for this tea
Delicious, sweet and slightly floral aroma without a trace of tannins. A perfect morning tea.
Certain notes reminds me of black tea. Overall it is a very smooth tea which makes it easy to drink.
Not my cup of tea
Hi Vanessa,
Sorry to hear that! Can you tell us more? What was it that you found unpleasant? I just pulled out a sample and brewed it after seeing your review. First thing I'm noticing is that it brews a more concentrated cup of tea than most oolongs. So I will take note and use less tea leaves to water ratio in the future. I also updated the brewing guide on this product page to recommend using less leaves.
We'd really love to hear more if you have a moment to share!
In tea,
Andy
Thank you for continuing to provide such outstanding tea. I'll keep on enjoying consecutive harvests all year round daily!
This is what I've come to expect from Eco Cha winter Qing Xin. It's easy to brew with low bitterness. Each brew manages to surprise with new flavors.
My wife is addicted to this tea and it's part of her afternoon routine. She claims this tea provides mental clarity that is unrivaled. It’s the only tea she drinks.
Really creamy - egg custard & butter pastries with honey!
Good value for the quality of the tea. This has been my daily drinker during the colder days.
I first tried small leaf hot and wasn't impressed with it. Turns out it's way better iced. It's smooth, malty, and never bitter. The fragrance holds up in cold temps. Makes me think of summer, even in January.
I loved this latest batch of Shan Lin Xi, smooth, fragrant with an amazing after scent in the cup. I successfully made five brews each time and was not disappointed. It really was totally satisfying on all levels.
I am ordering more..
Thank you Eco-Cha 🙏
I've been a returning customer for years. Just about every tea I've ordered have been solid in quality and taste.
Every oolong tea product I've purchased from Eco-Cha has been solid quality and taste.
Every oolong tea product I've purchased from Eco-Cha has been solid quality and taste.