Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: small, dark and twisted
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: very dark amber
Cassisa bark oolong, also known as Rou Gui has become one of my favorite types of tea lately. Wu Yi oolongs have become more and more expensive every year so I really appreciate that +Tribute Tea Company‘s is priced so well. The taste of this one was smokey and earthy with a ton of natural sweetness. I was almost reminded of the delicious burnt sugar used to top crème brûlée. The spicy undertone was subtle in the flavor profile but very present in the aroma. I found myself sticking my nose into the gaiwan on more than one occasion. There was very little astringency and the mouth-feel was fairly thick. So far all of these that I’ve had from this company have been excellent. The founder, Brett Holmes, is truly passionate about tea. He’s just getting started but I think he will do great things in the future.
Cassia Bark Oolong sample provided by Tribute Tea Company.