Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Temple Road, Tiger Monk

Temple Road Description:
Inspired from the power, strength, and courage of the Tiger Warrior Monk in the great and millennial tradition of Chinese martial arts, the distinct woody and smoky aromas of this triple roast, medium fermentation, high mountain oolong tea combine with exquisite balance to create this strong, rugged yet smooth taste. Aroma: Smoke, Wood, Wheat  Flavor: Strong, Deep, Malt

Sample provided by Temple Road

My Review:
My sample was shipped directly from Taiwan. It was packed in a vacuum sealed bag along with an oxygen absorber to insure freshness. The leaf is rolled into tight little balls with part of the stem sticking out. The leaf is dark and has a shine to it. The aroma of the dry leaf matches the company description well. - smoke, wood, and wheat. The combination comes off as kind of like the puffed wheat cereal I ate as a kid.

The sample is 10g. The steeping instructions said to use 3g and brew for 6 minutes with 95 C water, so that is how I prepared it. The leaf began to uncurl and stretch toward the surface of the water. That is always fun to watch. The brew is a very pretty bronze color. The aroma of the wet leaf has more emphasis on the roasted aspect, as does the brew. The leaf expanded quite a lot but has not completely relaxed.

When I take a sip I get the strength right away as mentioned in the description. I also get the roasted note strongly at first. This quickly melts into a more green oolong taste than I expected. I cannot say I detect malt in this first cup. I am noting a prickly sensation as I sip. That is not a bad thing it is just unexpected. This leaves a fruity aftertaste that reminds me of mango.

If you like dark roasted Taiwan oolong, this one is nicely complex.

Visit Temple Road online.

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