Origin: Nantou, Taiwan

I finally bought a new camera after the other one was stolen in August so I can finally take nice pictures again. I wanted to celebrate this by brewing a more traditional oolong tea: the 2017 SiJiChun Oolong from Unearthed Gallery.

2017 Roasted SiJiChun Oolong

This is one of the teas I received from Marcel at Unearthed Gallery to try and see whether I liked it or not. I have already posted about it on my Instagram account, but it was about time to write a full article about this tea because that is what it deserves.

The 2017 Roasted SiJiChun Oolong is more traditional: heavily roasted and medium-oxidized. I prefer this style of oolong instead of regular (light roast) high mountain oolong teas.

It comes from Hengshan in Nantou (Taiwan) at an altitude of around 500m and is the SiJiChun (four seasons) cultivar.

Tea tasting

• 5g for a 100ml porcelain gaiwan
• Water 99 degrees C

Smelling the dry leaves in the gaiwan after warming the teaware offers aromas of burnt bread, toffee, and sour apple.

The wet leaves have an aroma of sweet-sour apples in combination with floral notes.

Infusion 1 (20 sec): juicy and thick liquor; almost like syrup. Light yellow color. It feels thick and it almost feels like having oil in my mouth, texture-wise. Some of the burnt bread is coming through, combined with a slight florality.

Drinking this tea during golden hour and the autumn sun hits the tea table perfectly!

Infusion 2 (25 sec): as thick as the first infusion. There is a sourness that hits the sides of my tongue. The burnt notes have diminished, and a fruitiness has moved to the front. Hints of green apples with a floral edge. The aftertaste is fruity with a burnt twist. All of this is exactly what I’m looking for in an oolong tea.

Infusion 3 (30 sec): it’s getting more floral each infusion, with a crispy edge of burnt notes.

I have to boil new water and I’m really impressed by this oolong tea. This tea is exactly why I prefer more traditional oolong teas with a heavier roast. The combination of floral with a burnt edge is just right.

Infusion 4 (40 sec): more of the same burnt bread. It almost feels as if I am walking through an old artisanal bakery. The aftertaste is really sweet, almost as if I have eaten a toffee apple during a Christmas market.

Infusion 5 (60 sec): now it is more floral again, with a sweet undertone. A sweetness that reminds me of caramelized brown sugar.

Infusion 6 (long): the thickness of the liquor continues to impress me. Sweet and burnt notes of brown bread coated in sugar.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic tea if you like more traditional oolong teas. The heavier roast offers burnt notes with a certain floral sweetness.

I still prefer a nice sheng puerh, but this tea could be the reason I skip a puerh session to brew an oolong tea!

You can try it over here.