To brew this tea, I used about a tablespoon of leaves and four cups of boiling water. Steeped in a glass teapot, it was easy to see the leaves as they released a burnt orange liquor. (Later note: Using less water would have certainly improved the infusions.) Upon initially steeping this tea, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly light mouthfeel. After the first cup, the flavor continued to linger in my mouth. This oolong has a much lighter taste than other oolongs I have tried. It is a delicate taste, and very good.
The taste itself...in the first few sips of a cup, one can really taste the leaf, but the flavor seems to fade as one finishes a cup. Perhaps the initial flavor, light as it is, coats the taste buds in one's mouth so that subsequent sips merely slide through over the tongue.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this tea. The strength of the taste was a bit too light for me, but it was still enjoyable to drink. This was very reminiscent of the oolong served in Chinese restaurants with Dim Sum.
Canton Tea Co's Big Red Robe oolong receives a 92/100 for its exceptionally delicate taste, light mouthfeel, and lasting flavor.
EDIT: I later tried resteeping these same leaves. This was a major disappointment, as I got barely half of the original body and flavor. This lack of “stamina” in the leaves significantly decreased my rating of this tea (now an 85/100). In my experience, a good oolong ought to have at least some measure of re-steep-ability.
Canton Tea Co's Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Oolong can be purchased from their website, here.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.
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