2021 October Old Ways Tea Club – Issue 7! Gosh, it’s been a year on this tea club and it doesn’t feel like it.
This month is a Rougui Tea Master’s Set – Maocha, First Roast, and Second Roast.
Rougui Maocha from 2021 October Old Ways Tea Club
Rougui Maocha is biscuity and floral scented.
To make a 5g serving I pulled out almost a gram of sticks – it is worth sorting as sticks don’t add much flavor. I went for a lighter gongfu ratio than I usually do for these oolongs, so 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of gaiwan. After a rinse, the tea smells like fruit on saltine crackers.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth infusion: The Rougui Maocha is slick and sweet, the broth is thick and coating, adding thicc petpo bismal layer in the mouth. The main quality is thick texture whereas the flavor is subtle and honey sweet with a fruity peachy dusty floral aftertaste.
These leaves steep up so beautifully!
Fifth Infusion: I went for the power steep, and the Rougui Maocha is a touch astringent and dry, carving a path to chest thump me, but the flavor is consistently light and honey, but thick heavy drinker. I could drink this tea as a meal, despite it not being particularly rich in flavor.
That said, let’s get toasty.
First Charcoal Roast Rougui
This tea has a dried fruit scent, a mix of cherries and raisins. I did a leaf side by side with the Second Roast.
After a rinse, it is woody scented with a background of dried fruits.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: First Roast Rougui is still thiccc and coating. The flavor is bruised peaches with leaves and toast, with a bit of floral soap. After the first infusion, the soap note is gone, replaced with more fruit and milky nuts with a gentle bitterness. Each steeping the aroma develops and the fruity flavor just doesn’t quit.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: First Charcoal Roast Rougui is bitter and roasty, but still heavily peachy and floral in aroma with a long lingering aftertaste. This tea forces me to go slow as the aftertaste and thickness drink like a meal.
First Roast Rougui is quite similar to the maocha in texture but the roast job did awaken stronger flavor. Each infusion got lighter and more bitter but still stuck to the heavy aroma.
Second Charcoal Roast Rougui
This tea has an even stronger roast dried cherry scent. After a rinse, the leaves smell of roasted chestnuts with a bit of fruity.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Second Charcoal Roast Rougui has shifted to buttery toasted bread, with a bit of a roasted bite end of the sip, before shifting to a milky leafy peach flavor as an aftertaste. Each infusion dives deeper into roasted butter and heavier peach aroma. This tea has some roasted astringency, drying back of the throat, but still has that thicc meaty texture. In addition, the buttery nature of this tea now has an oily texture.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: Max buttery flavor, dang! Second Charcoal Roast Rougui is a salted butter and so comforting and lovely. Peach notes hit a great level and the astringency and roasted bitterness are all balanced. The final infusion is bitter and astringent before dying.
Comments
My fav was the Second Charcoal Roast Rougui as the buttery notes were great. I want to revisit this tea later when the roast settles and bitterness lowers. The First Charcoal Roast Rougui was aromatically lovely too, and the original Maocha was great to have as a reference.
Old Ways Tea Club is fun and quality teas as well as educational! Always a pleasure to drink this club – be sure to check out the previous months!
