Review: Red Jade and Concubine Oolong Reviews by TChing
November 18, 2013
A great read on Eco-Cha Red Jade and Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong Teas by Regena Rafelson of TChing.
"The first sip was minty and spicy. I immediately drained the cup. The second steep was even better, catching all the best of Autumn’s fruits, falling leaves, gathering firewood. The tea remained aromatic through four steeps. My husband and I enjoyed it for several days, chatting away as we sat near the wood stove, sipping Red Jade Tea. The tea is a real treat!"
"A whiff of leather and tobacco, very pleasant. The second steep was lovely, like dried plums and dried cherries. Through a fourth steep, the leaves unfurled more, but remaining fully flavorful."
Head over to their outstanding tea blog to have a read:
These leaves were harvested by hand from the residential farm that is our ongoing source of Dong Ding Oolong Tea. They were also de-stemmed by hand and roasted extensively to meet the competition standard. The brewed tea has a bold roasted character that is balanced out by a rich, smooth textured and complex flavor profile. It is reminiscent of fire-roasted yams and butternut squash.
This month's edition of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is from the same day's harvest of spring tea that our source received the Top 2% Award out of 750 odd participants in the spring 2019 competition. This month's batch of tea was prepared the same way as the award winning tea — removing the stems by hand and undergoing repeated roastings to meet the standard of quality set by this local competition. Only residents of this small community of traditional tea makers are eligible to enter this competition. But this is the heart of Dong Ding Oolong Country, and this community boasts the densest population of traditional Oolong Tea artisans in Taiwan, and probably in the world!
The complex aroma of the brewed tea leaves has subtle hints of a bug bitten character, but not very obvious. The sufficient oxidation offers a fresh scone scent, with a touch of honey, making us think that there is some influence from the Green Leafhopper. It is very likely that this note is subtle due to the fact that it had rained very near harvest time, which is said to dilute or dissipate the chemical compounds that are responsible for this character of flavor. The texture is smooth and balanced, with delicate complexity.
