Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab oolong is a special reserve high mountain oolong grown in Wuliang Shan, Yunnan China, but by Taiwanese Farmers.
Furry Crab was an oolong I bought as a tea newbie because of the inexpensive price – I recall the leaf being so broke and full of holes. Many years later in a tea industry convention, a trusted vendor told me the secret that many purchase Furry Crab and sell it as TieGuanYin, as it is cheaper and western drinkers can’t tell the difference.
However, Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab isn’t a low-quality tea, clocking at $1 a gram ($28 for 1oz/30 grams), so this will be an unparallel experience.
Leaf and Steeping Method
The leaves smell nutty and buttered biscuits with a background of floral lemon curd.
I used 1 gram of leaf per 15 ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. Introduced to water, Furry Crab has a heavy fruit floral scent.
Tasting of Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab Oolong
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Teas this expensive I always drink the rinse. The flavor is light, bright, and sweet like milky apricots with a lingering aftertaste.
As the tea opens up, I noticed a buttery velvet texture and the tea feels like it is slamming my tonsils before wiggling down my windpipe. The flavor is buttered peachy apricots that lingers a long time as an aftertaste. The more I drink, the more the buttery aspect goes more olive oil, and the aftertaste blooms to a floral bouquet.
By steep two I already am starting to feel tea drunk, with that wiggling snake tea path through my digestive system, with sinus pressure on the forehead and eyes.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: Furry Crab oolong switches more crystalline with glassy sharp fruity flavor. This oolong has powdery peachy notes and a bassy beat body feel. The aftertaste is holding strong and powerful.
Furry Crab is speechless good. If I could share a tea session with friends I bet it would be silent due to the tea’s strong meditation energy.
Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Infusion: The tea is starting to be bitter and my gums are dangling about. I got full tea drunk and an hour passed somehow as I got caught up knitting a hat and watching tiny home videos. There are notes of bruised peaches and my head is throbbing. I wish I wasn’t writing this review, I’d love to leave again for another hour, lost in thought, maybe take a nap.
The final infusion of Furry Crab oolong is sweet and tree sappy, but also bitter – then it immediately revitalizes the tea drunk head throbbing.
Comments
Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab oolong is thorough schooling in exceptional oolong with lots of depth and energy. Of course, the quality is excellent – this isn’t an instant bitter like other Furry Crabs I’ve had.
If you love fruity, high aroma oolongs with impact, and are ready to spend, this tea is perfect. I love Floating Leaves Tea’s Hong Shuis, but if you prefer the lighter side, Furry Crab this is another special tea treat.
