The tea review for today is Old Ways Tea’s Spring 2019 Gao Shan Rou Gui. This Rougui sports a lighter roast and tea material from one of the higher altitudes in Wuyishan.
Leaf and Steeping Method
Gorgeous leaf, look at those fall colours! Far away, the tea smells like peanut shells, but when I jam my face in the leaves it smells like fruit leather.
For gongfu ratio, I dumped the entire packet in my gaiwan, clocking in at 1 gram of leaf per 12.5ml of vessel size. From there, I steeped with boiling water. The hot leaf smells like hot nuts, fruit, and cream.
Tasting of Old Ways Tea’s 2019 Spring Gao Shan Rou Gui Oolong
First and Second Infusion: First impression – Gao Shan Rou Gui tastes like banana peels or green barely sweet banana flesh with a long smooth nutty finish. The texture is also like thick like a mashed banana with sloppy heavy whipping cream that leaves a balmy feel on the lips. After some sips, there is a soft floral fruity aftertaste.
The drinking sensation path of this tea is nuts, I can feel the tea punching the neck and sink directly in my stomach.
I drank the first two infusions like I was a starving, getting immediately crazed and ready to swing at any creature that tries to get in on my tea. After a moment of clarity, I feel the Rou Gui open the door, adding a cooling sensation to the throat. The tea is telling me everything is going to be okay. I have money in the bank and the tea is available.
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Infusion: On the third infusion, I got a hint of bitterness, like those weird strings on bananas. Gao Shan Rou Gui is still incredibly thick textured, with a balanced fruity nutty creamy taste.
The energy on this tea is out of control as my ears feel like I got pop rocks going off – if I do a big sip I wonder if I’ll blow out my eardrums. My heart is thumping as if I did 15 minutes on the rowing machine, and I should legally not operate any machinery as if I was actually rowing I’d crash the machine. Photos and pouring the kettle has become an issue as I’m a jittering and distracted.
Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infusion: With each infusion, this tea is getting nuttier and roasty tasting. I taste a touch of roast and a sharper bitterness, like drinking oily peanut butter. Gao Shan Rou Gui was a missed opportunity of not having a sticky texture – it is a peanut butter banana sandwich. Gosh, I want one of those sandwiches right now.
Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Infusion: These last infusions are light in flavor, tasting like a gentle dusting of soggy wood and roast. Strangely, my wish came true and the texture has shifted to astringent giving of a starchy feel in my mouth at first, then drying. The last infusion had no flavor, but 100% still all the thickness, oiliness, stomach punching sinking feeling, and oily lip balm feel, which is insane!
After drinking this tea my stomach feels I ate so much and hit that wall that if I had just a bit more I will barf. I had planned another tea after this, but I am done – roll the credits. Oolong Owl hoot hoot hoot.
(tea provided for review, however, I bought the Rou Gui months before I posted this review.)
