I learned about Floating Leaves from a tea podcast I listen to, “Talking Tea“. Owners Shiuwen and Noah specialize in Taiwan Oolong. I looked at the website, and I could not help myself! I made a purchase right away. When the box arrived, the handwritten note was very noticeable. What a beautiful touch. On “Talking Tea,” you can hear the enthusiasm Shiuwen has for oolong, which is one of my favorite tea styles. I love the versatility and how it can have its own range of oxidation. I started with their Tie Guanyin Oolong.
The Modern Muzha Tie Guanyin did deliver on experience. The aromas of this oolong shifted a lot in the stages of my tasting. I had a hard time nailing down any particular notes, which added a lot of fun when I was sipping. Sometimes I can instantly pick out certain aromas but this tea changed in ways that kept it a mystery to me.
Dry:
There is a toasty feel to this oolong, almost like roasted pecans. It has a bit of sweetness combined every now and then with subtle cut grass. After a small shake, the aroma can change and bring out hints of popcorn, which is very interesting! It has the look of a higher oxidized oolong and is in a bead form as opposed to rolling.
Steeped:
I get aromas of tobacco combined with what feels like wet leaves. I also get almost burnt aromas. It is a very smooth sip with a light astringency. The liquor is slightly sweet and reminds me of raw green vegetables.
Cultivar: Tie Guanyin
Harvest: Winter, 2018
Origin: Maokong, Xinbei, Taiwan
Preparation: I went with boiled water and did a one-minute steep using my Gaiwan.
You can find out more details about this tea on Floating Leaves!
(I purchased the tea for this review)
Leave a Reply