Nika of Greengold sent another set of Georgian teas to review, which I started covering comparing two black tea versions, and now I'm on to oolong and a well-roasted green tea. Many thanks to him for these!
In that black tea review the versions didn't seem as conventional as I expected. One was similar to one Chinese black tea in style, and the other was unusual. I suppose trying the earlier set 2 or 3 years ago I'm not remembering how conventional or unconventional those were. These may be a bit unusual. I'll use the web page descriptions as an intro again:
KESANE, which is name of one of the most mysterious flower, which in Georgia grows only in Guria region. Our tea plants are surrounded by forrest which is full of this flower. According to the legend this flower is called "Forget-me-not". Our Oolong tea is made with such mystery recipe and after you taste, you will not forget it.
It is a golden tea that displays the aroma of woody, honeyed, fruity, roasted with a hint of vegetal notes. The taste is refined and full-bodied, sweetish. The taste is juicy and smooth, buttery, sweetish, with fruity sourness, spicy nuances and refreshing finish. The liquor is transparent, with a shade of a meadow honey.
PHOENIX tea is a roasted green tea, with a very strong aroma and taste, which makes it an unique product. It is made from morning-plucked fresh leaves and is being roasted on a very high temperature, that’s why is named after Phoenix.
Strong fire is the key to deliver specific strong aroma during the tea manufacturing process.
AROMA: HONEY, WOOD, FRUIT, VEGETABLE
Tea has strong aroma and flavours with some notes of cocoa, honey that gives it points of acidity and notes of aged wood. It has a sharp and delicately texture. The degree of taste balance and the predominant malt taste. It is true that in the mouth, the balance between medium acidity and medium amount of tannins make this tea honeyed, round and easy to drink that highlights the sweet flavour.
Review:
Kesane: warm, rich, a bit nutty; I expected something else from the moderate darkness of color tones, for it to be even lighter. There is touch of caramel flavor as well. Feel is thick and rich too, which is atypical for a light initial round, especially if the flavor is still light.
Phoenix: that's different. There is a smoky input that stands out first, then an unusual type of flavor and astringency that pair together, maybe like tree bark. This tastes like heavy pine smoke. When you expect that it can be quite pleasant, especially when paired with suitable tea aspects, as with Lapsang Souchong. When you are expecting a mild floral or vegetal tea, anywhere near typical green tea range, it hits a bit hard. Mineral undertones are so strong that it tastes a bit like petroleum.
It's odd how the infusion strength differs in these. The first isn't as light as initial rounds sometimes are but it seems like it will strengthen more in the next round, that it hasn't quite opened up, and this is really intense, even a bit much. I'll need to use flash infusions for this tea from here on out.
Kesane #2: it's odd how depth, feel, and richness come across as stronger in this than typical forward flavors. The flavor is fine in it, along the line of root spice coupled with mild nut, brazil nut, macadamia or such. A faint touch of caramel and light vegetal edge add complexity, so light that it's hard to define, but not intensity. Sweetness is moderate but that input works with the rest. It's odd that this doesn't remind me of any other tea version, strange that no other teas that come to mind have been like this.
Phoenix: it balances much better for being brewed quite light, infused quickly. Smoke input really stands out but it's not nearly as strong, and the unusual vegetal (bark) and mineral (petroleum) range have eased up. Sweetness and feel kind of catch up; this makes a lot more sense now. One obvious question is if people who love Lapsang Souchong would also love this, given that it's not even a black tea base paired with that smoke input. I think that most would.
This may or may not even be a smoked tea. It's pretty smoky though, and that input had to come from somewhere. It's hard to identify other flavor range to round out a list. It tastes a bit like pine, not only pine bark but also the needles. There probably is more to notice that's being overwhelmed by the more dominant range at this point.
Kesane #3: not transitioning too much. A bit of autumn fallen leaves tone enters in, but that's pretty close to what I had already been describing. I like this tea; to me this unusual character works. It balances well, and is pleasant. It's not far off typical shou mei white tea range, comparing more to that than to most oolongs. It's odd trying one very light and subtle tea along with an intense one; it might work out that I like this more for the other being a bit dialed up.
I'm a sheng pu'er drinker, and was just discussing how unusually high intensity might be part of the appeal of that for me, but it took awhile to really like that flavor set, and what's going on with the Phoenix version is new to me.
Phoenix: not transitioning much either. Intensity is moderated by using a really short infusion time but this tea is strong.
It might come across better paired with food; some of that intensity might make more sense while alternating it with a breakfast or snack food, something rich and intense in flavor. This might pair well with gingerbread or red velvet cake, something that isn't subtle. Or this might even be fantastic with a conventional American breakfast, with fried eggs, bacon (especially smoked bacon, setting up a parallel between the two), fried potatoes and so on, all with a glass of orange juice.
This might even be a rare tea alternative that a coffee drinker seeking a match in intensity might love. It's not the same as a French roast coffee but it overlaps in a few different ways. That intensity builds up as you sip it a few times, almost changing in effect, and becoming too much. I could add milk to this and see what happens, even though that's blasphemy in the tea world.
I actually did that; in one sense this tasting just went off the rails. With just a touch of sugar this would really pull together, since that softened the intensity issue, but the smoky and pine tones are still a little edgy, even with that one part sorted out. It would fall close to a London Fog, Earl Grey with milk.
It might sound like I'm saying that this tea is so harsh that it needs plenty of adjustment, and this commentary can be taken that way, but as I see it I'm really discussing an unusual potential of the tea. If you put milk in the other version it would disappear. This can balance in a novel and pleasant way, as more intense Lapsang Souchong can. Or just drinking it with food would seem to accomplish some of the same effect, resolving high intensity, but in a completely different way.
Kesane, #4: I brewed this a little stronger and feel includes more of an edge now, not much compared to average tea feel range, but some. Interpreted in other ways people could see this tea as creamy, or could interpret the nut / root spice / autumn leaf range as subtle floral tones instead.
Phoenix: this balances better than ever; it softens and gains better balance. The flavor list still holds up, it's just not similar to earlier in overall effect with the balance of those inputs shifted around. The challenging part eases up; it wouldn't make as much sense to add milk to this, as brewed this round.
These teas are far from finished, brewed Gongfu style, the notes just stop here. I tried them for a few more rounds and they didn't transition that much more.
Conclusion:
Interesting, pleasant teas. That roast level in the Phoenix was a bit aggressive but if you were expecting that, or even seeking it out, it could be quite pleasant. If you expected a light oolong or moderate roast Wuyi Yancha it would seem burnt to a crisp. It worked out as Lapsang Souchong works out; you have to like that range to get them, and then it's pleasant.
Oddly I feel like I could relate to these better if they matched standard Chinese or other-origin tea character. Then that's about needing clear and defined expectations to appreciate tea character, which seems strange to me. Did I lose experiential flexibility along the way?
The Kesane oolong works well for a mild and unique oolong range. Maybe it reminds me a little of a gentle white tea, with the full feel and macadamia nut range flavors very approachable. I would guess that if you try brewing it in different ways and adjust to the character more complexity would stand out, that you could get more flavor range out of it. Probably trying it alongside a much more intense tea didn't really do it justice.
For the Phoenix tea you just have to be ok with a high roast level. From there varying brewing approach could adjust intensity, and could shift experienced aspects some, but it's going to be smoky and intense.
Well-roasted green tea is unusual, isn't it? Then it's back to whether a type being novel is ok or not. It is if you think it is, if you like the aspects and character. Aging it a year or two would probably tone down that smoky intensity some, and from there pairing with food or even adding milk would also work, as discussed in the review. Just dropping infusion proportion would help, the amount of tea used in relation to water. Or drinking a smoky, intense tea could be nice, if someone's preferences align with that.
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