Cuì Fēng Oolong

Unroasted: Starting with a visual inspection of the tea leaves. We see that the leaves are medium in size, tightly curled, and have a wonderful verdant green color to them. There is a light sweet aroma to the dry leaves. After giving the tea a quick rinse, we are rewarded by an enhanced aroma of sweetness that is joined by a strong aroma of freshly cut grass. Moving on to the first round of brewing, we start to see the true character of this tea. The tea liquor is as clear as glass, and has the color of citrine. The aroma of this tea continues to sweeten. The previously mentioned aroma of freshly cut grass gives way to the more refined, elegant fragrance of orchids. The taste of this tea is a perfect reflection of the teas aroma, sweet, with the enchanting taste of orchids. The aftertaste of this tea has that distinctive orchid sweetness that grows stronger with time. The second round of brewing brings more changes to this teas character. While the tea maintains its aroma and taste of sweet orchids, a lighter, more bright character of florality starts to come through. Upon sipping the tea, you’ll notice that the texture of the tea has become softer, and rounder. We feel that this tea has a comforting feeling in the mouth and throat. Very smooth. The third round kicks up the sweetness. The floral introduced in the last round starts to become more dominant. The aftertaste is also stronger. It now lingers for quite a while.

Light Roast: Like it’s unroasted counterpart, this tea's dry leaves have a light sweet aroma to them.  Once brewed, this sweetness is enhanced by a rejuvenating mountain fragrance. What do we mean by “mountain fragrance”?  Imagine the smell of fresh air, morning dew, cooling mist, lush forests, and aromatic wild flowers. Being a mildly roasted tea, the light smell of longan wood charcoal is also present. We find this combination of aromas to be thoroughly intoxicating.  The tea liquor is the color of whiskey. The second round is where this tea really starts to shine. While the previously mentioned flavors and aromas are still present, the charcoal notes are starting to become more dominant. The charcoal is now adding a flavor of cream, and nuttiness.  The third round sees an interesting shift back into the more mountainous side of flavor. Now the most dominant flavor is that of flowers. We feel that this tea is everything a well-roasted Gaoshan (high mountain) tea should be; Wonderfully complex, and with an extraordinary depth of aromas and flavors.

Heavy Roast: Dry tea leaves are a rich, blackish-brown color, and smell earthy, woodsy, and slightly sugary. The first round of brewing reveals a light yellow liquor, with hints of sugar and honey. The second round deepens the color of the liquor to a whiskey shade of gold. A feeling of cha qi (tea energy) starts emerge. It comes on like a warm, calming wave that gently washes over the body. The third round builds up the cha qi, enhances the teas sweetness, and adds a smoky flavor of longan wood charcoal.