Photo: Norbu Tea |
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: dark, tightly rolled
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: clay gongfu sized teapot
Liquor: dark amber
This type of tea is what is commonly referred to as a brandy oolong. It is grown on Ali Shan and produced from the same cultivar as Dong Ding but was much darker than most oolongs that I’ve experienced. The oxidation level is not quite high enough to make it a black tea . I could easily see where the name came from because the liquor really did resemble brandy. The taste was rather hard to describe. It was sweet and earthy with mellow floral notes and just a touch of spice. It did not loose its strength at all across several infusions. The leaves expanded quite a bit so I was glad that I opted for a small teapot rather than a gaiwan. Overall it was a very complex and soothing cup of tea and I’ll definitely be stocking up on it the next time that I order from Norbu Tea. I love that they offer sample sizes of many of their teas. It gave me a chance to try a bit of this tea without having to make a big investment.
You can find out more about this tea here.