Eco-Cha Teas | Blog Tagged "tea tasting" Page 3

Tieguanyin spring 2020 sourcing trip taste testing

Tie Guan Yin Oolong Spring Tea Is Here!

June 07, 2020

Over the course of our chat, catching up on spring harvest, competition, and other tea related topics, we realized that this artisan of Traditional Tie Guan Yin Oolong is the single most patient and painstaking tea maker we know. The amount of time and serious labor he puts into making a very minimal amount of tea is just so far off the charts of any other type of tea production we've seen. Oh, and he won first place prize a year and half ago, amidst top 2% and top 10% prizes that he is awarded consistently in the Muzha Farmers' Association Traditional Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea competition.

Charcoal Roasted Honey Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

December 11, 2019 1 Comment

This summer 2017 crop of naturally cultivated and well bug bitten and matured leaves were processed as a traditional Oolong, which mainly means that they were well oxidized. The work that went into oxidizing these leaves was considerable as well as skillful. The leaves needed to be worked, and they got worked well! The result is a full-bodied, substantial brew that offers a very satisfying balance that starts with a mild smokiness, leading into a fruity body with mineral notes, and finishing with something reminiscent of old school Charms lollipops. It really does have a distinct plum powder/confectioner's sugar finishing note that is cushioned by that smoky mineral base. It's a mouthful!

Cui Feng High Mountain Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

October 13, 2019 1 Comment

The prominent features of this batch of tea are the growing region, the farming methods, weather conditions on the day of harvest, and the degree of oxidation in the leaves in their processing. These factors offer us a premium quality High Mountain Oolong Tea.

The brewed tea offers a creamy, soft pine aroma with a smooth, savory/vegetal character that is very satisfying. It has a lingering, thick yet mild floral aftertaste, with a touch of heady spice. It's this integrated composition that we have come to appreciate most about High Mountain Oolongs. When there is sufficient complexity, combined with a thick, smooth constitution that actually shines the most after it has cooled down, it rates high on our Oolong score chart!

Alishan Late Spring Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club

July 07, 2019 1 Comment

We discovered this batch of tea through our mentor, Lisa Lin, who had already purchased a significant amount of this day's harvest. We introduced Lisa to Mr. Ye a few years ago, and she has been sourcing batches of bug bitten spring tea from him every year since. About a month ago, we were sitting at Lisa's tea table, and just happened to ask if she had bought any spring tea from Mr Ye. She said yes, and promptly brewed some for us to try. We were impressed, and called Mr. Ye the next day to see if any of this day's harvest was still available. He said yes.

Traditional Lugu Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

June 13, 2019 1 Comment

The medium oxidized leaves have undergone extensive, repeated roastings that have resulted in a very balanced, integrated character. The initial steepings offer a freshly cut wood aroma with a toasted nutty flavor. This proceeds to open up into a sweeter, more complex profile that is strikingly reminiscent of roasted winter vegetables, including parsnip, caramelized onion and butternut squash.

Charcoal Roasted High Altitude Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

May 14, 2019 1 Comment

Tea grown at high altitude is known for its substantial composition and smooth texture, particularly when the leaves have been sufficiently oxidized. This batch of tea offers that creamy texture and subtle complexity of flavor as a base, with a pronounced charcoal roasted component at the forefront. The charcoal roast is prominent in the first few brews, and the underlying complexity of the tea flavor comes through more and more with each brew.

Red Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

December 08, 2018

Appearance of the dried leaves is the first step in assessing any loose leaf tea. We can see by the coloration that these leaves are partially oxidized, with both green hues and darker tones. This is the first sign that it is a traditionally made Oolong tea. In recent trends, tea made in this fashion has been given the name "hong Oolong" or Red Oolong. It's actually just a new name for an old recipe.

How To Make Gourmet Iced Tea: Quick And Easy

September 01, 2018

The best loose-leaf iced tea in 3 easy steps

Brew your tea at a ratio of 1:40, loose-leaf tea : water. Boiling temp. water. Brew 7 minutes.
Pour the brewed tea into a a cocktail shaker full of ice and shake
Pour the well shaken iced tea into glasses half-full of ice cubes

Comparing Seasonal Batches Of Loose Leaf Oolong Tea

July 11, 2018

The inspiration for this post began when we first tasted our spring batches of tea this year. Especially for the three teas that we'll take a look at here, we immediately thought upon tasting each of them, they are noticeably different from last winter's batch. So first, let's list the main points to observe in comparing seasonal batches from the same source of tea.

Andy Kincart, Eco-Cha's Sourcing Director, paid a visit to Google at their San Francisco campus to talk tea

Eco-Cha Tea Tasting At Google

September 10, 2015

Sourcing director Andy Kincart visited Google in San Francisco last week for an informal tea tasting with the staff in their Conscious Café. Eco-Cha teas have been served to the Google team in San Francisco since last year.

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