Thai wild Assamica based oolong, Jinxuan based "oriental beauty"

 

Chang Kham Thai oolong left, in all photos

This reviews a Thai forest origin Assamica based oolong and a Jin Xuan based Dong Fang Mei Ren, a tea type formerly known as Oriental Beauty.  They sell this as Golden Grace Beauty; more often vendors avoid the term "oriental" by calling it Eastern Beauty. 

These are from Chang Kham, a Chiang Mai based shop vendor, and Moychay, a Russian vendor now selling tea from Amsterdam.  Both sent the teas for review; many thanks! 

Both are sort of non-standard, but the Thai tea really falls outside of standard categories. Apparently it's tricky to make oolong from Assamica, with more on that in the review notes.  There is no product description here since this is from a physical shop, not an online source.  There may well be a sales listing somewhere for it, on a local Thai online platform like Shopee or Lazada, but I didn't look one up.

DFMR / OB usually isn't based on the Jin Xuan cultivar, I don't think, and this oxidation level seems unusually low, but the results aren't too far off the standard type outcome. 

Golden Grace Beauty Oolong (Jinxuan Meiren Cha)

Golden Grace Beauty Oolong is a rare type of Oriental Beauty tea made by Moychay order in Southern Fujian, in collaboration with Taiwanese tea artisans. 

Grown at an altitude of about 1100 meters in pesticide-free gardens, the tea is uniquely shaped by nature: the tea leaves must be bitten by a specific insect — the “small green leafhopper” (Jacobiasca formosana). This triggers a natural enzymatic response, promoting the release of terpenes and resulting in complex aromas of honey, fruit, and flowers. 

The tea is entirely handmade using the Jin Xuan cultivar and follows a labor-intensive oolong process that includes sunlight withering, oxidation (60–80%), multiple fermentations, and careful drying. 

Its distinctive appearance displays five hues — red, yellow, white, green, and brown — with prominent white hairs. The infusion glows golden like amber, with a smooth, rich, and lingering flavor. Layers of honey, fruit, floral, and tender vegetal notes unfold in the cup.

That costs 19.73 Euro for 60 grams, or $24 USD.  That's 40 cents a gram.  Is that good?  It's hard to say.  If the style is a good match to preference for someone, the changes from most typical type character, then that's quite fair, but some people might be put off by those differences, and then it wouldn't be about fair or low price.

That might be all the more true of the other tea version, that for people who happen to like that distinctive and unique style it could be a great tea, but that it being atypical might drop the level of appeal for others.

Review:

Thai wild Assam oolong:  that's interesting.  Warm tones and an astringency structure stand out first, but there is sweetness and plenty of flavor complexity.  I'm not sure what tea type this reminds me of.  It's probably not a close match to any standard type of oolong, but then being made from Assamica material is a step away from that, and material being from a wild origin source usually changes things, into a less familiar but often interesting form.  

It's hard to identify a flavor breakdown, or even to add range to this.  There's a lot going on, but warm mineral and astringency structure mask the rest.  There might be both fruit and floral range, and possibly some warm spice, and it's that complexity, so much going on, that makes it hard to identify distinct flavors.  A savory edge, and the flavor, might relate to sun-dried tomato.  I'll try again next round for more of a list.

Moychay Jin Xuan "Meiren Cha," Golden Grace Beauty oolong:  that does express a lot of the type-typical "oriental beauty" range, the muscatel oriented citrus, a raisin note, and warm spice, pretty much just cinnamon.  The color looks much lighter than I would see as standard, but the flavor range is heavier and warmer than expected.  Feel is pleasant; it includes fullness and richness already.  Aftertaste expression is even kicking in.  It's pretty good.  They might have got even better results adding just a touch more oxidation input, but you can't argue with the results as this stands.  

There's a hint of lighter floral range still, the more normal Jin Xuan character, and a good bit of creaminess.  It's not perfectly type-typical "oriental beauty."  I guess I could start writing out Dong Fang Mei Ren instead, and avoid using either the old, politically incorrect name, or else Golden Grace Beauty, which is just a work-around to not say "oriental."  It doesn't matter.

In trying the second version and then the first that astringency edge in the Thai version stands out all the more.  It's not like a black tea astringency, and definitely not like oolong, which almost always lacks any kind of edge.  So I guess it's the green tea range carrying over, in spite of added oxidation?  It's not bad; it will be interesting to see how it evolves.

Thai Assamica oolong #2:  this first sample is smaller, maybe 5 grams, while the other is 7.  For now I just poured out the second Jin Xuan infusion first, not adjusting timing by much, but I might have to.

This evolves to be a lot stronger.  It was brewed pretty fast, but it's already quite intense.  Faster infusion times may work for this, or rather the lower proportion relating to making a related change.

This is pleasant, but it tastes like a tea processing style still being developed.  Integration and balance are a little off.  Warm tones and astringency are fine, but sweetness and flavor complexity aren't there in the right level to balance those.  Sweetness is limited.  It has nice depth, and intensity is fine.  No flavors are really off; it all works, but it could balance better.  Feel is a little structured, even towards seeming dry, for this to be a normal oolong style.  

I don't think this is an early attempt at processing; I would expect that it took some work to get this to balance as well as it already does.  But converting oolong processing to work for Assamica material might be tricky.  I've tried other attempts, and only two really worked.  This is quite good in relation to the range of the rest, just not quite where those two were.  Those were from Vietnam, sold by Hatvala, prepared as rolled oolong, reviewed here in 2019.  I guess it's a theme that doesn't come up too often.

There's a unique flavor in this that's pleasant, that's hard to pin down.  It's on towards rust, a warm mineral input, but it's not that.  It's closer to a wetlands sort of variation of "forest floor."  That sounds unpleasant, like I'm saying it tastes swampy, and I don't mean that, it's nice.  It could use one or two other notes to balance it, but those may evolve over the next couple of rounds.

Jin Xuan Dong Fang Mei Ren:  that warm spice note really stands out, along with something like dried tangerine peel (or muscatel; that kind of works too).  The spice may be in between cinnamon and nutmeg.  What I interpreted as raisin is a fainter background input now.  Warm mineral supports the rest nicely, and all the other aspects integrate really well:  sweetness, rich feel, aftertaste effect, and balance of flavors.  Then it's unusual that a bit of lighter floral is in there as well.  It gives it even more complexity, but it also reduces the impact and effect of the rest some.

This is pretty good, as oriental beauty variations go, but it's hard for any version to be towards the top of that scale, which relates to an amazing overall set of integrated and balanced aspects.  These warmer fruit and spice tones could be even warmer, and more intense, and could combine differently.  A honey sweetness sometimes stands out.  The citrus note can pop more than it does in this.  It's a good version, but not completely type-typical, and not a great version, in terms of pleasantness of experience.  It's on a level above the other tea; that one doesn't come together in the same way.  But then they're producing something really non-standard, not just using Jin Xuan instead of whatever other cultivar is more standard for OB (a type of Qing Xin, was it?).

Thai Assamica oolong #3:  it's interesting how the color changes in the second version, how that evens up over the rounds.  And how this has been staying as intense as the other, even though it's around 5 grams instead of 7.

This is the best this has been.  The flavors tie together better than ever, and the feel picks up richness, with the earlier astringency mellowing.  It was never harsh or edgy, to be clear, nowhere near Assam black tea range, or sheng intensity and rough feel.  It just had a lot of astringency structure for oolong, and a touch of dryness, which is lighter now.  

That one flavor is all the catchier.  It's not so different than the one edge in black tea, towards malt, not completely unlike some cured hardwood tone.  But hard to fully describe.  It seems like floral range is filling in some depth and complexity, and spice is, but they're hard to make out as distinct flavors.  It might be more like a tropical hardwood, teak, mahogany, or the like (which I guess makes sense, for a forest origin Thai tea).  One part I'm not capturing well in description relates to spice, sort of along the line of bay leaf.  

It's pleasant.  It doesn't match any other standard tea style or type, but that's fine.

Jin Xuan Dong Fang Mei Ren:  the balance of those earlier flavors shifts a little, but they're all the same.  Maybe the citrus stands out a little more this round.  I'm brewing this quite light, for 10 seconds or so, and you could draw out the warmer and heavier flavors more just by adding more time.  I'll try that, and probably leave off notes after the next round.

Thai Assamica oolong #4:  that astringency edge is much stronger, brewed longer; no surprise there.  It leans towards a green wood effect made this way.  This tea is more suitable for being brewed lighter.

Jin Xuan OB:  warm spice does stand out a little more for being brewed a little longer, but this may be fading already, since intensity didn't really increase.  A couple of more rounds would tell for sure.  [later edit]:  it wasn't dying, but it was fading, which isn't a good sign for quality, that happening so fast.  It made a few more decent infusions, but intensity had already dropped off some.

Conclusions:

These kind of review posts probably don't work very well for vendor marketing.  For people who the descriptions ring a bell, related to them sounding great, or interesting, the teas would seem appealing, but it would be as likely that it's not enough of a strong sales pitch.  The teas were good, but not high up the scale as good teas go.

It's nice that Moychay is turning up interesting versions of some standard teas, and selling them at moderate cost, at a good value.  But I'd expect a lot of tea enthusiasts to be seeking out the most type-typical, highest quality, most pleasant versions, and this may or may not make the cut, depending on judgement.  It's pleasant, so that part works, but slightly off the most typical Dong Fang Mei Ren style.

The other tea is even more unusual.  It's fine, also good, but again few people are probably looking for distinctive oolong that has an atypical feel and flavor profile.  If it all meshed together really well then sure, and this tea version balanced ok, but it was only on the lower end of "good."

Chang Kham Thai wild origin Assamica black tea

 

I'm reviewing another tea from Chang Kham, sent by that business owner for review (many thanks).  He is the family member of the Sen Xing Fa Bangkok Chinatown shop that I have met a number of times over the years, who now runs a shop and outlet by that name up in Chiang Mai (located here).

I just noticed in editing this it was from 2025, so a year old now.  A tea like this probably improves slightly over the first half a year or so, as it settles, and is all the better now.  It probably won't change that much with aging over the next year or two, maybe just fading slightly, but not even all that much of that, if well stored.  

All that is guesswork; I don't mean to imply the level of confidence in that conclusion that it implies.  The main point is that there's not much concern that it wouldn't be as good related to being a year old.  Maybe it's not really better, but it wouldn't just lose intensity or freshness, like a green tea.

A description from their website:

That tea costs 1500 baht for 100 grams ($45), listed on their website.  Is that a good value?

Not really, by Thai local standards, but then there isn't that much tea of this quality level around.  It would be hard to place this against any other Thai version to use as a market price, so I'm really comparing against teas from China.  I can check on one though, since Tea Side is a Western facing outlet that carries exceptions related to what is produced:

2025 Old Trees Organic Black Tea N3, Loose Leaf  ($19 for 100 grams)

Loose black tea from 100-300-year-old trees, the highest quality material.

This is a classic black tea from trees. It is well-fermented and possesses an invigorating strong taste with many semitones and a rich aroma. The taste profile: tea rose, tulips, dried fruits, a little caramel.

Suitable for both, utilitarian consumption with sweets and for the thoughtful tea ceremony. 

The teas are probably fairly similar, but I might like the Tea Side version a little more, since their teas tend to match a Dian Hong style (from what I've tried in the past; it's a guess, related to this tea), and this was one flavor aspect removed from that standard profile (so still pretty close).  

So $45 is a bit much.  You always pay more for teas sold in brick and mortar shops, than in purely online outlets, as a rule, which is somewhat fair.  Their overhead is a lot higher, and they offer you the benefit of trying teas before you buy them (usually; that varies by store).  Also $19 is a pretty good price for what I expect that other Thai tea to be; 20-some would still be ok.

It seems strange blaming a vendor for value when they send a tea for review (many thanks for that!), but I don't intend this that way.  These kinds of really rare teas vendors would source at different pricing, and their marketing and final pricing is up to them.  

It's quite possible that you couldn't find a close equivalent to either of these teas anywhere else.  The supply chains aren't anything like standard farm production, so I'm not clear on what factors go into costs.  And it's possible that the Chang Kham tea is much better than the Tea Side version; only someone who has tried both would know.

Review:

first infusion:  this is good.  The style is distinctive, in a way that's familiar if you try enough versions of black tea; hopefully that comes across in description.  It tastes malty, but not quite as dry and mineral intensive as Assam versions (from that area in India).  It's not exactly like a malted milk ball or milkshake malt, but sort of right in between the two.

Beyond that another flavor included is cacao.  There's a bit of fruit as well, more or less along the line of dried dark cherry.  It's a nice mix.  Feel is rich, even though this is really just getting started.  It even expresses some aftertaste effect, while still starting out.  Through it all that one cacao note stands out, which is a pleasant aspect to bring the rest into a nice balance.

Because this tea lacks a lot of astringency you could brew it as intense as you want, and it would be fine.  The way these flavors are combining, with pleasant intensity, it would be as well to keep infusion strength on the light-medium side, because it will all probably come across well that way.

second infusion:  similar to the first round, but a little stronger.  There is a slight sour note to this, a bit like aged cardboard, that some people could find off-putting, and then for others it would just link to a separate mineral range that works well.  Early in my tea exploration I kept trying versions that went by the name / type Golden Monkey, and they were a bit like that.  Let's check what that might be, from Wikipedia:

Golden Monkey tea (Chinese: 金猴茶; pinyin: jīn hóu chá) is a black tea originating from the Fujian and Yunnan provinces in China. Only the bud and first leaf are picked, and the tea leaves are characterized by the pale gold threading. Golden Monkey tea is a black tea counterpart of Silver Needle white tea. The flavor profile of golden monkey tea is characterized by light, honeyed peach notes, and its lack of astringency. The name "Golden Monkey" can be used for many black teas.

...Despite the fact that tea has been grown in Yunnan for 1700 years, Golden Monkey is a relatively new tea, about 300 years old.[5] It has only been produced for export in the last 13–18 years.

This is a review of a local Thai version from 2014, almost dating back to that range.  I would describe teas differently now, but it sounds at least comparable.

That post describes a taste as resembling cantaloupe, and that might apply to this.  Or one part is definitely like sun-dried tomato, that sweet and savory flavor.  Cacao is still present, but not as the dominant flavor.  Warm mineral picks up, perhaps related to this being brewed a little stronger, or it just evolving across rounds.  All in all it's pretty good.  Again flavor preference in relation to that one flavor aspect is what would determine a take on this tea, if it seems off, or if that's regarded as pleasant, the one balsa wood sort of flavor.  I like it.

third infusion:  not really changing much.  It might pick up a little depth, and coat my mouth a little differently, feeling a little different.  

It's interesting to compare and contrast this with typical Dian Hong range, an overall personal favorite.  That malt note wouldn't be similar; Yunnan versions aren't generally like that.  I guess if they are a Golden Monkey type maybe it could be more common?  I wouldn't know.  Some cacao and range not completely unlike roasted yam is common.  I've not been describing this as like roasted yam, but it's similar, and that's one possible interpretation.  It probably works better for this third round than it had before, so it is probably changing a little.  The way the set of aspects comes across is similar though, even though it all may be shifting slightly.

The feel is nice, but it's hard to describe how or why.  It's rich, and a bit heavy, but quite smooth.  Maybe one might say that it's velvety.  As quality level goes this tea is fine; it's good.  It's more a matter of how it matches or misses related to personal preference for flavors.

I'll brew one more round a bit stronger, and this tea won't be finished, but that should be enough description.  Sometimes late rounds can be just as positive as earlier ones, or teas can thin in ways that aren't as positive, but to me that's usually not a main story of how the tea is.  It's interesting trying tea that is this approachable, in the mild and flavorful black tea range, but then I just did review a couple in relation to buying one from Viet Sun, and them sending a sample.  They weren't completely different than this.

fourth infusion:  that malt note is the strongest it has been, probably in part related to brewing this a little longer, and related to it evolving that way.  For people who have tried a few similar versions of Golden Monkey all of this should be ringing a bell.  As I remember those may not have matched this for some of the minor aspect range that shows a tea's quality, for flavor intensity and complexity, overall positive character, rich feel, and aftertaste trailing over, adding depth to the experience.  

That one balsa wood sort of note was at the center of those experiences too, if I remember right.  I wonder what that's from, if a processing form input causes that, or it's somehow related to using common tea material to start.

Conclusions:

When these kinds of black teas really work for you it's pleasant to drink a kilogram or two of them, to make it a part of a routine rotation.  I wouldn't mind having about 250 grams of this, but I wouldn't want to drink it every week for the next year.  That one malt and balsa wood note isn't something I'd want to repeat experiencing 100 times (although 30 or 40 might be ok).  

But then it's funny how all of that is completely subjective taste dependent.  I'm touchy about a black tea being tart, at all, but if a version has depth I don't mind if flavor intensity is on the low side.  Cacao, roasted sweet potato, and roasted yam are personal favorites for flavor inclusions (so this does cover quite a bit of that too), referring back to the earlier comment about liking the main Dian Hong style best.

It's a good tea version.  It's definitely worth trying this style, to see what you make of it.  I think almost anyone would like this tea, so I'm really focusing on how for some people it might be a personal favorite and for others it wouldn't.

On a completely different subject, Keoni and I checked out a really local shopping center in the Victory Monument area this past week to get a pizza (strange it related to that food choice).  I love those older places; it feels like we're out of town.

Lincang and Fengqing (Yunnan) material Fu zhuan

 

I'm reviewing two exceptional Fu zhuan (hei cha) versions made from Yunnan Assamica material, from the Lincang and Fengqing areas.

This is an unusual theme, re-trying versions of tea I reviewed over a year ago (sent by Oriental Leaf for review; many thanks!).  I think vendors have sent the same samples more than once before; it could be hard for them to keep track, as I have to look up what I've tried in the past.  It should be interesting though, because I've been trying more Fu zhuan style hei cha recently, and quite a bit of Liu Bao over the last few months.  I should be more dialed in to that range.

Part of the point here is to compare the style to the other Fu hei cha processed versions I've been reviewing, with two of those based on white tea material.  This is from Assamica material typically processed into pu'er, from Yunnan.  I'll cite the vendor description to fill that part in and get right to it.

On Taoism - Jingyang Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea - 190g Cake ($38.50 for 190 gram cake)

This 190-gram round Golden Flower Fu tea cake is the miniature packaging version of another of our best-selling 350g cakes. Although it is small in size and a bit lighter in weight, the quality of the tea is the same as that of the popular product.

The classic Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea from On Taoism Tea Factory is a signature product of our tea house.

We offer two options:

One is black-wrapped, made from grade one dark tea from Lincang, Yunnan, with a more intense tea aroma.

The other is yellow-wrapped and made from a particular grade one dark tea from Fengqing, Yunnan, with a deeper tea aroma.

Both types of tea undergo post-fermentation and flowering processes in Jingyang. The buds in the red packaging are more tender, while those in the black packaging are more durable for brewing.

These high-quality compressed tea cakes were produced in 2020. They stand out for their ability to be stored long-term and transform, resulting in a more mellow taste.

The most distinctive feature is the high density of golden flowers in the compressed tea cake. These golden flowers, a beneficial microorganism, signify high-quality Fu Brick Tea. To emphasize this feature, workers split the tea cake in half before it left the factory, allowing you to see the dense golden flowers upon receiving the tea. As mentioned in a previous blog, the number of golden flowers is a crucial quality indicator of Fu Brick Tea; the more golden flowers, the better the quality.

This Fu Brick Tea, with its unique round cake shape, supports the traditional and natural growth of the golden flower fungus. Unlike the brick shape of traditional pressed tea, this tea undergoes a unique post-fermentation process using Jingyang water in Jingyang. This process, involving controlled exposure to moisture and air, enhances the tea's flavor and aroma. Thanks to the cotton paper packaging, the rich, high aroma can be appreciated even before brewing.

The Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea offers a unique taste and brewing experience. The tea leaves, known for their durability, can be brewed over 15 times. The taste combines fresh, sweet notes and a returning sweetness with a clear and bright soup base. The On Taoism Tea Factory maintains a clean workshop, ensuring the tea's high quality without washing.

These probably do change a little year to year, but maybe more in the way shou / shu pu'er transitions quite a bit over the first 3 or 4 years, and then changes are gradual and more limited after that.

That pricing is equivalent to a $72 357 gram pu'er cake.  For some Fu zhuan versions that would be on the high side, but these are exceptional, so that seems fair to me.  It would be hard to find other versions that are as distinctive, high in quality, and pleasant, and especially difficult to find anything better.  From there it's down to styles matching preference, which I hope gets described in the notes.

Review:

Lincang material, black label (left in all photos):  I didn't use a rinse; that's a judgement call.  I'm not sure where conventional wisdom stands for rinsing this particular tea.

Flavor is pleasant, rich and complex.  A dark rye sort of bread like aspect stands out.  It's not as heavy, not as dark, as it might be.  One part is lighter, even leaning towards citrusy.  In between complex tones could be judged in different ways.  One would have to mention spice to fill in a decent list, but it's complex enough spice that it's not simple to break down, along the line of incense related spice.

Fengqing material, yellow label (cream colored, really):  even heavier; this is closer to a dark rye, or on towards pumpernickel.  It's clean though; none of the earthy tones seem musty or off, also true of the other version.  An unusual mineral range stands out in this.  Usually mineral tones are light, like flint or limestone, or else quite warm, onto darker colored rocks range, but this isn't so easy to place.  A different spice tone stands out.  For sure that fungus, the golden flowers, is contributing a lot of that to both, so for people familiar with it I could just say these taste like two different variations of golden flowers.  A bit of beeswax sort of flavor comes through, and beyond that again spice tones are hard to place.  Maybe dried fruit plays a role; I'll try to separate a list better next time, but this will probably transition a little already, with a lot of the outer fungus rinsed off in that round.

In retrying both just before going on to the next round the lighter colored first version, in the black label, has a bit more of a distinctive heavy towards actual fungus range, like an old tree bark or log smells in the forest, and the darker colored second version is lighter and brighter.  Interesting.  I don't remember which of these I liked more the last time I tried them, but it will be interesting to see if that changed.

Lincang, black label #2:  even brewed very fast, under 10 seconds, intensity and complexity are great.  Mouthfeel is even full, with a bit more structure to it than last round.  This is giving off a tree bark sort of tone, in a good sense; it's clean, rich, and complex.  Bright tones stand out too, giving it a nice balance.  It's mostly in the range of spice, perhaps with a bit of dried citrus peel standing out.  This is probably the kind of tea that no two people would describe in the same way, so a text description may be of limited helpfulness.

Sweetness, rich feel (with a hint of dryness), and aftertaste really contribute to the experience.

Fengqing, cream colored label:  warmer tones are interesting, especially in contrast with the other being as light as it is.  That seems to have switched, that I just said the opposite in the first round.  I think that round was about the flavor of the fungus that had been rinsing off, and this one relates as much to brewed tea leaves, which are just getting started.  This tastes more like a dark bread, again.  There's a hint of the warm, rich earthiness present in shou / shu pu'er, that peat range, but not much.  It's light and clean in effect, and integrated with the rest in this.  It's more in the dark bread and spice range.  

To me, based only on limited past exploration, to be clear, you don't tend to see this much complexity, balance, and depth in hei cha of this type, Fu zhuan.  The intensity is unusually pronounced.  As I recall, although I didn't re-read an earlier review, these are made from high quality Yunnan material used to make pu'er, not something a bit less (distinctive, or lower in quality?).  I mean the material probably had more potential than hei cha material often does.  It's not made of sticks either, and probably not based on old leaf material as much.  It's just a different thing, across all of those dimensions, related to origin, plant type, and plucking / harvesting standard.

Lincang, #3:  I gave this a little longer, 15 seconds, although the intensity was fine before, maybe on the high side.  It would probably make more sense to use half as much of this tea, dropping the proportion, and brew it on towards 20 seconds.  That's just habit from maxing out proportion most of the time, not an earlier guess about an optimum.

There's a spice oriented range in this that I'm probably never going to describe well.  It reminds me of the Dune theme; this probably tastes a lot like their melange spice would.  It's full and sort of earthy, but also bright and complex.  It hints as lots of spice tone, and also lighter range like dried citrus peel.  Mineral is a part of it, but it's so integrated that it's hard to place, as light or dark, tasting like some particular rock.  Feel is full and rich, but it has an edge of dryness.  It's like how a black tea might include a touch of astringency giving it a little dry feel.  I suppose some might connect this feel and the flavor to that experience, and say that it tastes like the malt in Assam.  It does, a little.  That's probably what I was missing, to the extent it's not just a set of lots of flavors.

Fengqing:  a creaminess picks up; that's interesting.  It's in the form that creamy feel, sort of tied to tastes, emerges in stout beer, like Guinness.  Hints of rich dried fruit also pick up.  Where the other is spice-oriented with dryness this is now on to really tying back to the heavy, dark bread range, not unlike stout, with sweetness picking up.  Feel is rich and creamy, not dry at all.  It's missing that malt edge in the other, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on preference.  

From there one might see parallel with warm tones in fallen logs, with tree bark.  It's also leaning a little towards cacao, but I don't think many people would make that association, because it's not quite there.  It's the way that rich flavor range, soft feel, and complexity come across that implies something like it.  

At this point I like the cream colored label version better (later I'll swap in tea plant material origin locations for main descriptions).  That complexity, spice, and dryness in the first works, it balances in a positive way, but this second version is really unique.

Lincang, #4:  not so different than last round, so I'll mostly skip repeating it all.  Maybe a bit of extra sweetness picks up, an extra dried fruit oriented flavor that's hard to place, partly related to dried citrus peel, but there is more to it.  As to form of citrus I'd say it's red grapefruit.  An Assam drinker might really love this.  I mean someone drinking really good orthodox, high quality Assam, not the ground up stuff that requires milk and sugar.  It includes some of the same malt and fruit, plus an extra dimension or two.  Astringency is very limited, to just a bit of dry edge, but to me that's a good thing.  

Fengqing:  a different kind of spice range enters in, a root spice effect, along the line of sassafras, just not exactly that.  Warm tones stand out all the more, although I guess that was also true in a different sense in the last couple of rounds.  It's creamy in a slightly different way, leaning towards root beer, instead of stout (actual dark beer).  

This is a really unique tea experience.  Both are, but it seems like parts of the other version's character turn up in other places more, in other types.  You just don't end up drinking teas that land right in between dark bread and root beer for flavor range, or maybe really spanning both, including them.  If that somehow didn't make sense together, if it didn't integrate, this could be really off-putting, but it ties together beautifully.  I'd be surprised if I didn't like this tea version more last time.

Of course the teas kept brewing, without changing character that much over the next few rounds, eventually fading later.

Conclusions:

I had reviewed these earlier here; one of the points of this review is to compare notes.  I brewed them Western style, which isn't typical for me for most tea types.  It's not a bad call, related to this style of tea, but you experience more distinct flavor aspects when you Gong Fu brew them.  It also helps with dialing in infusion strength.  

It makes it hard to compare impressions, because they were made differently, and expressed character differently as a result.  The general impressions match, but this second review adds a lot more detail.  This tea is good enough that you probably should Gong Fu brew it; you see an extra dimension or two that way, and it's worth it.  Or if you don't feel like going through that some of the time results are fine the other way, unlike brewing a lot of range of sheng pu'er, which typicall just doesn't really work out well.

Drilling down to finer flavor aspects more, and feel character, it was interesting how one part of the Lincang range reminded me of good orthodox Assam experience, the slightly drier feel, and touch of malt.  You might only associate the flavor with malt if you could make that connection, since it's natural to be "looking for" other earth, spice, and dried fruit range instead.  

The Fengqing expressed more spice range in the Gong Fu brewing based review, like sassafras, coming out more after the first couple of infusions.  Brewed Western style those same generalities turned up, but in far less specific form.  Someone might have even interpreted it as leaning towards cacao, when I saw it as closer to root beer in the last round.  If it sounds like it's closer to shou / shu pu'er I would say that kind of partly works, but it's not related to peat flavor, which is pretty common in shou.

Compared to the other Fu zhuan versions made from white teas these are just different.  Those might have been a little lighter in character, possibly slightly sweeter, maybe with different pronounced fruit tones.  There was a little fruit range in these too though, and earthiness was present but not in a way that dominated the character, nothing unusual, that necessarily would be regarded as a flaw, or negative input.

I should be able to say which matched my preference most, even though that alone can be tricky comparing over weeks of time, and it doesn't necessarily mean anything to anyone else.  Often when you try a tea a few times your impression changes, and you relate to it differently.  That last Fu zhuan tea was pretty good; I can't say that I like either of these more.  It had a clean, bright, fruit intensive range, with lots of depth, that all balanced well.  But there is something really interesting and appealing about the Fengqing version, the way that particular spice range and varied depth come across.  The other is good too, and for a tea to have with food it might be better, but in terms of this impression I liked the Fengqing version more than the Lincang. 

Vietnamese oolong and fishhook style green tea

 

I'm trying out a couple more samples from Viet Sun, sent along with ordering a really nice sheng and black tea not long ago.  They sent a second "forest origin" type of green tea, which would make a lot more sense to compare with the fishhook / standard Thai Nguyen version range, but this sounds good to me, comparing oolong and green tea experience.  

In general it's better to comparison taste as similar teas as you can, not mixing styles or character, because you'll notice more fine differences instead of just that you are trying two types at once.  I've been through it lots of times though; it gets easier to sort out with exposure.

I'll brew these using water not so far off boiling, maybe 90 C.  I've measured output temperature from a filtration system that also heats water at our house before, but I don't remember that outcome.  It's too hot for Western brewing approach optimum for green tea, per most people's opinion, but it's normal in Vietnam to use hot water to brew green tea, and to be ok with the stronger flavor profile and additional astringency that results.  I can cool a round and check the difference [or switch to using cooler water across all the rounds, as it turned out, because that tea is really intense].

Related to the Viet Sun black tea and sheng I've been drinking, from Lao Cai and Song La, respectively, I like them more and more as I keep drinking them.  It's possible for a novel, complex, and refined good tea version to really stand out when you first try it and then for you to not feel as much connection over time, as you keep drinking it.  Sometimes even more basic versions can match what you really like, and can seem better to drink more of.  Those teas are pretty good initially, and they also seem well-suited for drinking regularly, which of course relates to my own preference, not some aspects or form of balance that one wouldn't tire of.

The oolong I have no clear expectations of; that makes it more interesting.  If the fishhook style green is a good version of a style I've drank a number of examples of that should be good.  Those tend to be floral and also vegetal, but not necessarily grassy, intense in character with heavy flavors, and a pronounced mineral base.  It's that "heavy flavors" part that makes them seem distinct from other green tea range, which I typically like.

Per usual I'll add more of Viet Sun's description after I try these and make tasting notes.  There was no listing for the "Thai Nguyen Fish Hook Green, Autumn 23;" it's either not there yet or already sold out, or maybe never will be listed.

Sunset Oolong, Autumn 22 (edited slightly; the listing is long.  It sells for $35 for 100 grams).

A strip style oolong produced from old/ ancient Shan Assamica varietal trees growing in the Hoàng Su Phì area of Hà Giang in Autumn of 2022.

This is a unique tea. Assamica oolongs are typically much harsher than their Sinensis counterparts so processing and storage play a major role in the production of this tea. If you've tried the 2020 version of this tea you'll surely notice how different the 2022 version looks and tastes. 

The producer decided to go with a lighter oxidation and drying temperature in order to preserve more of the natural essence of this tea. They also mentioned that they think that this lighter overall processing method requires less of a storage period before the tea starts to come into its prime. 

The flavor is complex. I pick up notes of savory warming spices with a peppery floral fragrance and a bit of green freshness. There are notes of medium oxidized oolong, Oriental Beauty and Dian Hong. Thick sweetness with a medium-thick body depending on how strong you brew it. It has this softening effect that spreads and finishes with a bit of a tannic bite.

I like brewing it at 90-100 degrees for shorter and then longer steeps.

Season: Autumn 2022

Picking Standard: 1 bud, 2-3 leaves

Region: Hoàng Su Phì, Hà Giang

Elevation: 1200m

All of that aspect description works; I won't comment on it further later on here.  I did already compare this to Oriental Beauty in notes.  

Variety Assamica oolongs tend to just be bad, not only a little more harsh, but that's probably related to many examples being experimental, and producers needing time to adjust processing inputs to get it to work.  I might've tried two that were good, both from Vietnam, and more decent Indian versions that seemed nothing like oolong, which is something else.  Of course until I had tried those I considered whether the plant type range might just not be suitable for that processing approach, if typical leaf compounds didn't match up, but it's not that, it's about not getting them right.

Review:

Sunset Oolong:  that's so nice!  It's a little too light still, normal for how I usually prepare a first round, but there's a really pleasant sweetness and flavor profile.  There's a lot going on; it might taste a bit like fruit cake, that mix of warm, rich flavors, including a bit of spice, along with brighter and complex mixed dried fruit.  I'll have more luck with a flavor list next round though.

Thai Nguyen Fish Hook Green:  the umami level is insane in this.  I can compensate for brewing two kinds of tea by flash brewing this version from here on out.  It might work to add a touch of cold water to this too, to try brewing it at a more conventional 70 - 75 C range early on (roughly; I don't weigh or measure anything), before cooking it for too many rounds.  Vegetal range is heavy, and intense, not so far off kale.  That must sound rougher than this comes across, and adjusting outcome by brewing it using cooler water and faster infusion times would change a lot, or backing off proportion.  I don't want that to sound like I'm describing brewing around flaws though; this is more or less how it should be.

If anything this is a much better quality version than I'm accustomed to.  You can see that in the finer leaf form, which helps with cranking up intensity, and it's clear in the flavor outcome too.  It's vegetal though; it wouldn't be for everyone.  Kale is joined by spinach and celery; it's really vegetal.  The strong mineral base is nice, and sweetness is good, helping the rest balance.  Probably by altering brewing approach you could get more floral range out of it, and just brewing intensity lighter would shift to an experience of lighter flavor range.  But it is what it is too; someone not into vegetal green teas shouldn't be drinking this.  

In other versions that mineral range can dominate more, not as a base for other flavors, but as a primary input, which wouldn't necessarily be ideal for people looking for more of a black tea or oolong oriented experience, but it balances differently.  It lingers so long in aftertaste for this version that I'll need to drink a good bit of water between rounds to get it to clear.  I've tried white teas that taste like less than the plain water I drank to clear that aftertaste; a nice sweet flavor aftertaste keeps going, and doesn't clear out fast. 

It's my understanding that people in Vietnam value that high intensity and somewhat harsh feel in green tea experience, that over time they come to like being blasted by it.  As a sheng drinker I get it; it's never enough until it's a little too much.

Sunset oolong, 2:  it's interesting how the first thing you notice drinking this is a "man that's good!" reaction.  The sum is greater than the parts; none of the aspects add up to account for how pleasant it comes across.  I think feel might be part of that, that there's a richness to it, a way that it coats your whole mouth, that adds depth far beyond the flavor.  It's sweet and rich in flavor too, but not necessarily that complex or intense.  In terms of a list of all the flavors probably adding together it's probably very complex, but those are all subtle enough that it seems simple when you taste it.  Let's get to that list.

Sweetness includes a warmth like a honey range, or maybe that's light caramel instead.  There is fruit but it's so non-distinct there's no way to list out what it probably includes; maybe some dried fruit range, could be something like cooked pear (included here as a guess to point towards a range, more than a description).  Warmth seems to also include a spice tone, and a rich and deep underlying feel is more similar to sassafras (like one part of root beer), or if that's not familiar leaning a little towards yam.

I bet if I kept drinking this tea I'd change my mind about that whole list, and describe it in completely different terms.  That part is interesting, how an overall pleasant effect is clear but what is going into creating that is not.

Thai Nguyen fishhook green:  I brewed this quite light, mixing in cold water and brewing it fast.  I didn't want to err on the side of saying I should've went further with that adjustment.  Character is completely different, of course.  Floral range does ramp up; it's probably more dominant than the vegetal range.  Or maybe this is really a mix of light and subtle floral tones and completely different vegetal range, like sugar-snap peas (mostly that flavor in particular; not just like that).  Sweetness dominates the basic taste effect, the context, where mineral and heavier range had before.  There is still some umami in this, plenty of it, but nothing like the earlier level, or the earlier effect from that.  Not so many teas are capable of shifting character this much related to brewing approach differences.

So in the end it's sweet, light, bright, including plenty of floral tones, and light and sweet sugar snap pea vegetable.  Mineral base still grounds it but in nothing like the earlier form or intensity.  If this green tea version hadn't been off the scale in intensity using a hot water and quick brewing approach would've been more practical and appropriate.  These really fine leaves seem to extract lots and lots of flavor very quickly, with limited need for exposure to heat to push that along.  I'll try it brewed slightly hotter and longer next round and see what it's like more in the middle, but not back at that "just off boiling point" temperature level, still a bit cooler.

Sunset oolong 3:  the one sweet and rich range seems to be what is making this so appealing, somewhere along the lines of caramel or molasses.  You could push this tea much harder; maybe next time I'll let it brew for over 20 seconds to see what that changes.  Then it's odd how the intensity of the other requires being careful about that, limiting it to a range that's still approachable, without someone acclimating to super strong tea instead, and just going for it.  

The fruit seems to include an apricot note; it could be that a catchy form of fruit is another part of what makes this so nice.  It's quite subtle at the same time, which is interesting, how an overall impression is different than how the individual aspects seem.

Thai Nguyen Fishhook green:  that balance is ok, embracing it being more intense, including heavier flavors, and strong underlying mineral tone, but still also including the light, sweet, and fresh range.  To be clear I really don't like grassy green teas, and green tea is my least favorite broad category (besides something like flavored teas; those don't count in the same way, and some can be ok).  

I like this more than I would expect to based on the flavor range, or that would be true if I hadn't experienced that with fishhook style green teas a few times in the past.  The mineral base and savory range, the umami, give it an interesting balance and overall effect.  Some Japanese green teas work out like that, and an aspect range I typically don't like so much really works.  For them that seems to tie directly to quality too, so that if I'm thinking of heavy umami and seaweed flavor teas I don't like that's more about cheaper and rougher versions where it doesn't all tie together as well.

Oolong 4:  I don't think I have the patience today for 6 or 7 rounds of tasting, for describing how these keep evolving.  It's mid-afternoon and I've not had lunch yet, which is going to be a single meal covering lunch and dinner for running so late.  This will do.

It's hard to place this in relation to other oolong styles, to say what it reminds me of.  It's quite oxidized, so maybe along the lines of a "red oolong," which I guess relates to Dong Ding as much as any other more established origin range or style.  It's just its own thing though.  Pretty much always when you try a one-off style and material input version positive aspects can come up but overall balance is missing something, and it doesn't connect and work perfectly, feel might not be ok, aspect range might not integrate, or it can seem unrefined, etc.  But this is good.  This really should include an extra flaw or two that it doesn't, or at least some aspect gap or imbalance.  They did well.

More aspects and description would come up in a more detailed single version review that pushed the tea harder, bumping infusion time, using full boiling point water, dialing in an optimum timing.  I bet with more of that comparison with Oriental Beauty style would make more sense, the way honey sweetness, dried fruit, and spice combine in those.  I think that's not occurring to me here as much because it's like that but the comparable range isn't directly one for one.  The spice tone and fruit are similar but different.  This might be closest to an Oriental Beauty version where they've not pushed the oxidation level all the way to the edge of typical black tea range, or into it, as tends to come up.

Fishhook green:  the balance is nice in this, the way heavy umami stands out, with good sweetness mineral base not far beyond that.  It's still more vegetal than floral, but using slightly cooler water and a lighter infusion strength pulls that way back from the heavy kale, spinach, and celery range.  Anyone entirely opposed to drinking vegetal green tea would still hate this, but it's well balanced.  This version is much closer to typical Japanese green tea range than any fishhook style green tea I've tried before.  For me that being good or bad depends on the final aspect balance, with quality level tied to that, and to me this works well.

To be clear on that context I wouldn't buy a tea like this, or any Japanese green teas; I love sheng pu'er most, then a limited range of black teas, then oolongs, which come in a broad range, then maybe interesting white tea versions after that.  Shu pu'er can be ok, and hei cha can be interesting, but maybe it makes sense to just leave them off the list.  I can appreciate what this green tea is, and how good it is, but that range just isn't a close match to what I like most in tea experience, or next most, and so on.  This oolong version I could probably drink 500 grams of and probably not get tired of it, but buying their Son La sheng and Lao Cai black tea instead was a better choice for me; those are closer matches to what I like most.

For someone exploring novel and interesting tea range, earlier in a sorting out process, this green tea could take on a different meaning.  You could cover related range trying Japanese green teas, but they wouldn't be quite as novel, for fitting into a paradigm slightly better.  That's only true in general; at higher quality levels things tend to shift a bit, and range of novelty and higher potential opens up, but you'd need to be open to a higher level of spending to experience that in Japanese teas.

It's generally bad form to mention alternative sources in a review post but let's go there.  I think Trident Cafe and Booksellers would be a great source for way above average green teas at very fair prices.  They list some really interesting Japanese green teas, and versions from other places, all starting at $10 per ounce (28 grams).  That's actually a pretty good price for teas in that high demand at that quality level.  I was going to compare that to this tea's listing on the Viet Sun site, but it's not there (sold out for now?).  Anyway, the other forest green tea listed, the only green tea, they sell for $7 for 25 grams, or $22 for 100 (or $51 for 250; you get a great deal at volume, but only if you know you like the tea, since having a lot that you don't like isn't helpful).  Trident's sales isn't set up like that; you keep paying $10 for 28 more grams, which I think is still fair, but it's up to $40 for 112 grams.  It probably should be more, for what they sell.

The general point here, which might already be clear, is that if you can find very interesting and higher quality tea versions from lower demand areas sometimes you can get amazing values for that tea.  Not always; some boutique Indian outlets sell the best of the best versions from there for full Western boutique outlet market rates, up around the 40 cents a gram level, which I guess still makes sense.  There's very little of that highest end Indian tea demanded or made, so however that balances out is what it is.

This oolong is something else, seemingly a one-off.  Teas like that cost whatever they happen to be sold for, and there's no market rate to go by.  $35 for 100 grams is fair in relation to what other remotely comparable quality and aspect range teas would sell for, and probably Oriental Beauty versions roughly as good and somewhat similar in style would tend to cost even more, but nothing else would seem exactly like it.

Wild arbor white tea from the Maetang mountains in Thailand

 

A contact who is new to producing teas in the North of Thailand sent me some of their earliest test production, a white tea version.  His name is Leo Shevchenko, who I met through Sergey Shevelev of Moychay, as part of a Thai "wild" tea development project along with Moychay.  There's background on that project on a related website here.

Leo also sent a sheng sample from Myanmar, so I can place how the two relate, and context for what will come from them in the future, in a later post reviewing that.  Ordinarily I only write about teas that I like, because there is a more interesting story to tell then, but I don't have any doubt that Myanmar sheng is fine.  I've tried a good bit of sheng from Myanmar and it was all either ok or else really nice.

There's not much more to add to the tea review, beyond a story that will be told by pictures Leo sent of the growing area.  The region wasn't familiar to me, since I don't get to the North of Thailand very often, or travel around more remote areas when I do, but Maetang seems to be here:

Zooming out that far doesn't show what is around it very well; it's not that far from Chiang Rai.

Review:

First infusion:  quite light; that can happen.  It was clear enough that a gaiwan full of leaves this open wasn't going to amount to my normal proportion, so I brewed that over 20 seconds to compensate, but I'll probably need to stick with a half minute at this proportion.  There's not much to go on at this infusion strength, but what does show through is what I expected, sweet, creamy, complex in relation to fruit flavors, with a nice warmer edge.  It doesn't seem like there will be any flaws to talk about.  It'll be easier to fill in a clearer and longer aspect list next round.

This looks a little more like a Moonlight White in the picture than it did in real life, the black and silver color theme.  It's definitely black and silver but there are some shades of green included.

Second infusion:  a touch of citrus picks up; that's nice.  That creaminess is really pronounced too, both the thickness and some of the flavor from cream.  A little spice range relates to that trace of warmer tone, hard to distinguish further as one type of spice for being so light in this.  For there being nothing negative about this it would make sense to push up the intensity by brewing even more tea (a higher proportion), and preparing it stronger.  For listing out aspects that doesn't matter as much, since a lighter infusion can somehow work even better.  Next round I'll give it 45 seconds--or so; I never time or weigh anything--and see how that works out.

This would be a positive version of a Moonlight White, if presented as that.  That's just Yunnan Assamica made into white tea, per a normal use of the category and term, with a narrower definition limited to a plant type that turns silver and dark when it is dried, as some of these leaves did.  Versions end up being sold that are in the other color range, in varying shades of tan, brown, or dark green.

Third infusion:  as one would expect warmth stands out more for brewing this stronger, or that could just be normal infusion rounds transition; hard to be sure.  On the one hand this is very pleasant in what it expresses, complex and interesting, covering sweetness, light fruit range (a touch of citrus, and maybe a little berry beyond that, maybe in between blueberry and raspberry), cream, and light warm tones, a little towards cinnamon spice to identify the range, but not that.  On the other hand this is a bit subtle, definitely lacking intensity, which not everyone would love.  People who already drink a lot of white teas are quite familiar with that trade-off; this is on the complex and intense side as Silver Needle goes.  Not all that far off a standard aspect range for those either, pretty much the same.

Fourth infusion:  kind of the same as last round.  Brewing this strong (out around 45 seconds now) it has decent intensity, and a rich, full feel (all relative; not as structured or rich as sheng pu'er, or as full in feel as wuyi yancha).  It even includes some aftertaste carry-over, part of that sweet cream and warm tone.

Fifth infusion:  not really evolving or changing, so I'll probably leave off here.  This probably won't make it to 10 or 12 rounds due to stretching the timing so much, but these early rounds were pleasant.  It stayed pleasant for a good number of extra rounds, maybe another 5, but I didn't keep count of those. 

This experience reminds me of one of the best tea versions I've tried from Monsoon, a local Thai producer specializing in wild-grown teas.  A review of that is here, with another post covering a lot of local white tea version reviews here.  

pictures in this blog weren't very good 5 years ago, but the color theme comes across

an old photo of a Kinnari (Laos) version of Moonlight White, even more silver and dark

You don't run across these types of teas so often but the exceptions can add up over time.  I think this version compares well to the rest; those particular aspects are a pleasant set, and the rich feel and aftertaste range add depth to a tea that might otherwise come across as a bit too subtle and simple.

It's a good tea to brew in different ways, since you could push it as much as you like for Western brewing and it would be fine, or it would work well for "grandpa style" brewing, leaving it in a tea bottle and drinking it still mixed with leaves, then refilling that.  It's pretty good for an early trial of tea production, well-suited for that type, it would seem, and made without making any processing mistakes leading to noticeable flaws.

Pictures as background:

I don't have much for description to go with these, beyond the general context that this is relatively wild growing tea.  Since the plants were probably intentionally introduced to this area some time ago some consider this wild tea to be feral instead, but it doesn't change anything.  Leo mentioned that he thought the tea was more complex, aromatic, and fruity because there is a lot of wild flowering plants and fruits growing around it, and it does seem to work out that way, that complex biodiversity can lend character related to nearby plants to tea.  It sounds like a typical myth but related stories of that seeming to happen come up over and over.

Some pictures Leo sent then:

Nice enough!  It's cool that the harvesters represented the Moychay theme in that way, which also comes up in photos on that website.  A couple subjects themes one might expect are missing, pictures of tea drying in woven bamboo racks, and photos of really old trees.  Some plants would have to be older there, given my understanding of the context, these are just what they took pictures of to show a plucking process.  Here's an older Thai tea tree to show what I mean, from an earlier post about a different producer:

This subject is a little worn thin, but it's quite difficult to tell how old a tea plant (tree) is by size, because they grow at completely different rates depending on environmental factors, and I suppose also by plant type, to some extent.  The plant genetics would vary, and I don't see why that couldn't also influence growth rates or maximum final size, even though conditions would seem to be more of an input.  When people look at a tree, a photo or in real life, and give assurance that it's 100+ years old, or closer to 200, and so on, per some decent informed input that's really not meaningful.  The trees can get old, even well over 1000 years, but anyone looking at that last photo and passing on a specific age is either just guessing, most likely based on believing questionable hearsay, or else making an informed guess based on a lot of unusual prior exposure, and it would be hard to say which.

Those plants in the other pictures are kind of young, it looks to me (a guess that is uninformed).  I have no idea what to make of that, or if that points towards other lines of speculation about their likely history.  To me it's as well to go by final processed tea aspects and take the stories for what they are worth, interesting background, that's not quite as important as the final results, in terms of experiencing a brewed processed tea.  It seems unlikely to me that they sprayed pesticides on plants that were already naturally growing, from growth that is integrated with other plants, so there's that, an implied causation for the final processed tea to be safer than mono-culture grown plantation tea.  I don't even over-think that part; I try to drink a good bit of tea with a background that sounds favorable and promising, and let that chemical exposure issue work out however it does from there.

The tea was good, positive in character and unique, which is the main thing.  It should be really interesting trying the same material made into other style versions.