Aged 1970s Oolong
Aged 1970s Oolong
**This is the same tea that was added as the "mystery tea" to the first-ever Mountain Stream Teaducation Subscription Box back in March 2019.**
Buying aged teas in Taiwan is tough. Not only do you have to find a source that you trust, you also have to find tea that was of decent quality when it was put into storage. And it has to be the right storage as well! This tea, and its sister tea the Aged 1980s Oolong, are teas that fit those criteria: decent quality tea that was stored correctly by a famous name in the tea industry. They taste that way too!
Finally a tea older than us, this 1970s Oolong packs a punch! Earthy forest floor aromas give way to a peppery spice sensation that shouldn't be consumed before driving if you are susceptible to getting tea drunk. If you are, (susceptible that is) you will enjoy this tea!
This tea is also a great study for those interested in older teas. Notice the delicate, thin leaves that can only be produced by hand processing. The clear, rich, almost multi-colored tea broth that denotes the real age of the tea and clear complex taste. While many try, it is very hard to fake the authentic depth of authentic aged teas such as this one.
##The origin of tea this old is often foggy. This tea is no different. It was bought by a trusted buyer of aged Puer teas in the mid-1980s from a farmer who said it was a tea from the mid 1970s. It has been aging in large casks since. While an origin history like that is not very satisfying, it is better than most for aged teas of this vintage.##
Elevation: ?
Status: Conventional Farming
Season: 1970s
Cultivar: ?
Method: ?
Oxidization: ?
Region: Nantou
Recommend Brewing Style:
Gong Fu Style: 3-5g per 100ml, ~100C water, 20, 30, 30 then add 5-10 seconds steeps in gaiwan. Lasts 10+ steeps.
Western Style: Not recommend for western style brewing
This tea last a long time. I poured tea from this for two days. If you drink puer this tea is for you.
This tea has a delicious sweetness to it. Very thick mouthfeel and flavor reminiscent of brown sugar. Toasty and malty as well. The thing that blew me away most about this tea is the pronounced tea energy. This tea is extremely relaxing…I would not drink this tea for studying or working. If you’re vegging out for the night however, this is a fantastic tea to drink.
Color of Puer, strong taste but mallow with age and have a dry sweet aftertaste
Thin in shaping and hand processed, this 1970s oolong has aged with grace. Earthy and reminiscent of shu puer, this tea is far more syrupy in texture and multifaceted in comparison. Slightly smoky with pepper spice and sweet caramel plum, there grows a varied experience as the infusions stack and I continue through sessions with this tea. Stellar work, Matt!
My first impression of this tea included flavor notes of rich and dark cocoa. An underlying caramelized sweetness emerged at the end of each sip, and lingered.
Upon successive infusions, the complexity shifted to barrel-aged and sherry-finished Scottish whiskey. Yet, the flavor-development was subtle, and not overly intense. I was able to get many infusions with each tea session.
A delicious, and subtly-complex, tea. Very enjoyable. I’m very glad that I purchased 50 grams for aging and further assessment over time.