As an East Coast tea enthusiast, I’ve always dreamed of visiting the cities on the West Coast like San Francisco that have lots of great tea places. Samovar Tea was at the top of my bucket list. They were kind enough to send me their Oh So Oolong Tea Collection for review. Unfortunately, their physical stores closed down in 2020. The good news is that you can still order their tea online!
The category of oolong is so diverse. I really the like the idea of a set to highlight the different tastes that can be found. I received these teas and tasted them at the end of last year. Unfortunately, my publishing queue is quite long so it’s just being put out now. The assortment for the Oh So Oolong Tea Collection seems to have changed slightly as their website now lists Golden Phoenix Oolong rather than the Wuyi Oolong.
Four Seasons Oolong
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, tightly rolled
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Steep Time: 30 seconds
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: bright gold
The taste was butter soft with tang notes of green bell pepper. My second infusion was thicker and sweeter with prominent floral notes that lingered long after each sip. The third round turned more fruity. This tea is on the lighter end of the oxidation spectrum but isn’t nuclear green. I definitely think that gongfu style is the best way to make this tea because it lets you experience the flavor evolving. Those nuances might be lost if you’re brewing in a larger format.
Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: dark greenish-brown, tightly rolled
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Steep Time: 30 seconds
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: deep gold
The taste was sweet and toasty with understated florals. It had a thick mouthfeel with an ever-so-slightly dry finish. Tie Guan Yin is known for its sourness, but that aspect was fairly subtle. Notes of caramel and a subtle smokiness came to the forefront as my session with this tea progressed. It was interesting to taste this tea alongside the Four Seasons because although they are both Taiwanese oolongs, they each present a very different drinking experience.
Wuyi Mountain Oolong
Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark, somewhat broken
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Steep Time: 30 seconds
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: reddish-brown
I noticed a toasty, smokey aroma from the dry leaves even before brewing. The taste was woody and pleasant with a lingering aftertaste. Dates and bittersweet chocolate came to mind. It had an almost raisiny sweetness followed by a slight sourness. The smokiness from the dry leaves came through quite strongly in the cup. There was not nearly as much change in flavor apparent between infusions compared to the other two tea in this collection.
If I had to choose a favorite from the Oh So Oolong Collection, it would have to be the Four Seasons Oolong. I enjoyed the complexity that it offered from infusion to infusion. One criticism I have would be the packaging. The individual bags that the tea was packed in were the very old-fashioned tin tie style. This type of packaging doesn’t do much to protect the tea because it is not really designed for long-term storage. I recommend putting the teas into air-tight containers once you receive them.
Have you tried any of these oolong teas from Samovar Tea? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Oh So Oolong Tea Collection provided for review by Samovar Tea.
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