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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Life In Teacup, Affair of Shui Xian & Rou Gui

Life In Teacup Description:
Blending Shui Xian and Rou Gui is a traditional way of making some "Da Hong Pao" products. Although anybody can blend two teas together, artistic blending can only be achieved by the most skillful and experienced tea workers. Instead of calling this product "Da Hong Pao", we give it its current name to honor the state-of-art blending, to clarify the "ingredients" of this tea, and to distinguish it from our other Da Hong Pao products which are made of Da Hong Pao (Qi Dan) cultivar.

Production Year: 2010
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Fujian, Wuyi Mountain Region

Sample provided by Life In Teacup

My Review:
I grabbed this sample with no expectations. I had not read the description and was not familiar with the name of this tea. Upon opening the sample I may have gone, "Ooooh" out loud. This cannot be confirmed as there were no witnesses. The leaf is large and dark. The scent is of roasted goodness.

I used a large scoop due to the bulk of leaf in my press with 200 F water. The steep was 2 1/2 minutes which resulted in a root beer colored liquor whose aroma was pleasantly roasted.

This tea is a blend of Shui Xian and Rou Gui. The combination is warm, earthy, and sweet. The roasted aspect is a driving flavor that is balanced in the cup. It does not overwhelm. The aftertaste I am finding to linger with a green leafy aspect that surprises me in such a dark oolong. I have enjoyed a number of cheap bagged wuyi oolongs that are obviously attempting to imitate Da Hong Pao. They are generally pleasant enough but lack depth. This tea on the other hand is not only beautiful to look at, it is also rich in full flavor. Very nice.

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