Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: dark green, tightly rolled
Water Temperature: 203 degrees
Steep Time: 50 seconds
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: deep gold
Dong Fang Mei Ren is well known for being a bug-bitten tea. Did you know that there are other varieties that are also nibbled by the leafhopper? ‘Concubine’ teas are made in the greener rolled style more typical of Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. This causes a chemical reaction in the leaves that produces a honey-like aroma. While they are delicious, I wish that the tea industry would find a less offensive name.
Mud&Leaves generously shared samples of Taiwanese oolongs from their collection with me. This is the first one posted for review. The 2020 harvest is no longer available on their site, but they do have a 2021 harvest listed currently. I enjoyed this tea so much that I still wanted to feature it here.
Leaf
The dry leaves of Mud&Leaves Golden Concubine High Mountain Oolong were dark green and tightly rolled into tiny pellets. The tail end of some stems was visible (not a bad thing!), but overall the appearance was refined and clean. I noticed a toasty sweet corn aroma when I opened the sample packet. I prepared this tea gongfu style in a porcelain gaiwan using the parameters recommended by Mud&Leaves. My water temperature was 203℉ with an initial infusion time of 50 seconds.
Liquor
Mud&Leaves Golden Concubine High Mountain Oolong brewed up a deep gold liquor. It took several infusions for the leaves to fully open up. Even before taste and aroma, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly thick and unctuous mouthfeel. The taste was smooth with sweet notes of honey and crisp Fuji apples with an aftertaste that lingered long after each sip. It might sound odd but the sweetness combined with the syrupy texture reminded me a bit of my favorite honey whiskey, Wild Turkey American Honey. The roast was present but well balanced. I definitely recommend this tea, especially if you enjoy other bug-bitten oolongs.
Have you ever tried Mud&Leaves Golden Concubine High Mountain Oolong? I’d love to hear your tasting notes in the comment below!
Golden Concubine High Mountain Oolong sample provided for review by Mud&Leaves.
