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Oolong with richest tea flavor?

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  1. Wyatt
    Member

    I am looking for an oolong with the strongest or richest "tea" flavor. The Snow Orchid is said to have more but I have not found that. To me, it is good but has almost a snow taste to it. It does get me going though, a very revivifying drink.

    a bit of info; I like a 12 to 14 oz cup of tea after breakfast and again after lunch. I bought that larger white teapot in the front room with the peach designs and bamboo handle. It is perfect for what I do at home. After adding 6 grams of tea and brewing for 3 minutes, I do it all over again with the same leaves and add that tea to my stainless thermos for the after lunch tea. As I fly for mapping work, I can't stop and brew in the plane.

    On long hikes, I like to stop about noon, have lunch and brew up some fresh tea out in the wilds. Again I use 6 grams in a medium Finum permanent filter that sits in my double wall titanium cup. It is big enough to let the tea swim and unfold. When I brew the Snow Orchid, it is a good tea that can carry me a good ten miles off trail but I seek something with a stronger tea flavor is that makes any sense. Thanks all!

    a photo of one of my hiking stops here; http://photos.imageevent.com/boynhisdog/solstice/FireSRGB640_1.jpg

    Posted 8 months ago #

  2. admin
    Seven Cups

    Hi Wyatt
    I think I'd like to have tea outside with you sometimes.
    It is hard to answer a question with stronger or richer as descriptions, so I will just take some guesses and make some assumptions. Dan Chong oolongs like Snow Orchid are considered pretty "strong" by the Chaozhou people that drink them. They mash about as much leaves into a gaiwan as it will hold, probably about 8 to 10 grams, and brew it with very little water. It will certainly get you going. You might try some Huang Zhi Xiang (which I am drinking right now) or some Ye Feng if you want to stay in that category of oolongs. Both come from older bushes that might be considered a little less refined than Snow Orchid, which like a lot of an Dan Chongs, has been breed for fragrance.

    If you want to take a step into an other oolong group I would recommend trying a Wuyi rock oolong. Some of of our teas are roasted both light and dark, and I would go for the darker roasted. Rou Gui would be a good choice, and of course nothing can compare with Da Hong Pao for richness.

    I have run around a lot of mountains with various oolongs spurring me on. I got pretty tea drunk this year in some really incredible mountains in Taiwan, drinking some of that lightly oxidized Taiwan oolong, with a crazy tea maker that didn't seem to sleep much. You can that for what it is worth. Maybe they are worth a try even if they are light tasting.

    Don't be afraid to add some more tea. I would rather the tea be too strong than too weak. My wife complains about my extravagant tea making habits, but if she was from Chaozhou it would never come up.

    If you want to venture into a tea that should never be consumed on an empty stomach, and is a green tea, give some Liu An Gua Pian a try. You might need a map to find your way back from that one.

    Nice photo.

    Austin

    Posted 8 months ago #

  3. Wyatt
    Member

    Thank you so much for the excellent reply and suggestions Austin. That gives me a few to try. I am relatively new to the whole leaf exotics but now that I have started, I have no wish to go back, ever. LOL

    I can remember reading Tai Pan for the first time many years ago. That is when people drank real tea and the trade was all from China. The trade drove the actual design of wooden sailing ships after a fashion (The Clipper) as the first ship of the season could set the market. I do remember also one of the ship captains remarking "how can people live without tea", as he was enjoying a hot cup.

    I'll stop by and pick up the recommendations soon.

    Posted 8 months ago #

  4. admin
    Seven Cups

    Hi Wyatt
    I should reread that book! I read it a long time ago. You are right about the international significance of the tea industry. Before there was oil there was tea. And probably after oil too.

    Good luck in your explorations. :)

    Austin

    Posted 8 months ago #

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