Hello to the 2023 February installment of the Old Ways Tea Club, a Wuyi tea box that arrives every 2 months. This month we have 2022 Cousin’s Bei Dou, 2021 Zuhuo Bei Dou, and 2022 Jin Xuan.
2022 Jin Xuan from the 2023 February Old Ways Tea Club
I tried last year’s crop and enjoyed how different the oolong was from the usual green and milky Jin Xuan. The leaves smell warm, nutty, and sweet with a hint of plums.
For all teas today, I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu style in boiling water. After a rinse, the Jin Xuan scent opens to more sweet plums.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: 2022 Jin Xuan’s rinse is strong tasting, holy cow! I’m glad I didn’t go heavy leaf. The flavor is cherry plums and milky wood while the aftertaste opens up to a woodsy cherry wood. Texture wise, it’s silky feeling.
The second infusion is brighter tasting, with a potent stone fruit salad of plums and peaches, with a mellow woody flavor. Some sips are osmanthus citrus notes. Aftertaste evolves more floral fruity and it lingers, heavily. I am distracted by youtube and I can still taste this tea.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: 2022 Jin Xuan has developed an astringency, drying the back and top of my throat. The flavor is mostly in the aftertaste, tasting of potent floral peaches and plums, with waves of citrus. By the end, the steeps have the essence of mineral and watery cherry wood. If I keep sipping, it layers on a bitter stewed flavor.
2022 Jin Xuan is a heavy aroma and fruity tea that is potent in flavor – it’s not a subtle milky Jin Xuan. I yet again enjoyed trying this tea.
2022 Cousin’s Bei Du
The scent is sweet plums and roast.
After a rinse, the scent is fruity nectar. I stacked my fast infusions, as recommended.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Again, the rinse isn’t a rinse, this Bei Du has a potent flavor. 2022 Bei Du tastes of sweet citrus osmanthus honey, and fruity mix of honeyed pears, and sweet crisp apples, with a creeping floral aftertaste. Some sips are sappy dark wood. Texture wise, it’s buttery and thick to drink.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infusion: These infusions were really light and sweet honey minerals, so I steeped longer for the sixth and seventh. Alas, the sixth and seventh were also just as light but a little stewy tasting. I tried for a final solo steep and it was more of the same, stewy honey minerals.
2022 Cousin’s Bei Du was best in the early infusions with excellent fruity comfort food notes. I am curious how this tea would do lazy style as that is the ultimate stack brewing, but I’ll save that for another time.
2021 Zuhuo Bei Du from 2023 February Old Ways Tea Club
This one smells darker and a little funky wood.
After a rinse, 2021 Zuhuo Bei Du smells of rich almonds and fruit, steeping up a ruby dark red.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: 2021 Zuhuo Bei Du is flavorful, with notes of dried currants, sandalwood, and leather, with a bit of salted butter. This Bei Du is a robust and burly tea, with waves of dried sultanas in the aftertaste. The texture is buttery which adds to the salted butter notes.
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infusion: 2021 Zuhuo Bei Du is getting better and better. The flavor builds dark, plummy, dried fruits, and more robust leather.
Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Infusion: 2021 Zuhuo Bei Du is finally getting lighter and sweeter. The flavor is minerally, wet stones, and astringent plum skins. Some sips are waterlogged driftwood.
This tea keeps going and I could probably get more steeps, but I’m steeped out if I want to sleep tonight.
In all, 2021 Zuhuo Bei Du is potent with a tasty mix of robust, dark, and fruity notes. Every infusion was good. Awesome if you love dark richly flavored teas.
Old Ways Tea Club always has excellent teas and I love the every 2 month frequency as I have time to enjoy the tea. Every month has been great and I’ve been on it since the first box. However, this is the last review as I’ve ended the subscription to make way for other teas (and another subscription). If I wasn’t a tea blogger with a ton of teas, I’d probably stick with Old Ways. It’s a very good tea club for the oolong lover, with plenty of interesting teas and educational tastings.
