Perhaps Guangxi is not the first province one thinks of as far as Chinese teas are concerned. However, it is important. It produces some famous teas and tisanes. Osmanthus trees grow here, and their flowers are eaten or made into tea. Guangxi also is home to jasmine tea and produce fine dark (Liubao), black and green teas. Although it is next to the Guangdong province which has fine Dan Cong Oolong teas, Guangxi is not an oolong county.
However, this tea was processed as oolong, and its leaves come from Guangxi. I bought it in a tea shop in Yangshuo, and when the seller said that he had Oolong from Guangxi, I questioned it. Then he explained to me that, he learned how to make oolong in Fujian and started to make it in Guangxi. He can make a minimal amount every year.
I did not have huge expectations which were not exceeded. But it was an OK tea (although it did not provide a good VfM for what it is). Amongst what I tried so far, it is closer to a light roasted Tie Guan Yin. Its dry leaves were floral (not as much as TGY), but the floral aromas disappear after the second steeping. Its taste also had a certain level of astringency. Though it was not unpalatable.
The size of the leaves was smaller compared to some Fujian oolongs, and they were not as silky as some great TGY I have tried. But tea-making is a skill which is not easy to acquire, and I think this oolong maker deserves congratulations!
Tea Profile:
Type: Oolong
Origin: Guangxi, China
Harvest time: 2020
Leave colour: Tones of vivid green with some stems
Liquor colour: Yellow
Tea aroma: Floral
Tea taste: Slightly astringent with vegetal and some faint floral undernotes
Steeping/brewing: Place 5 g of this tea in a 100 ml gaiwan and pour water at 90°C. Rinse the first steeping after three seconds. Infuse the leaves for 10 sec for the second steeping and add 5 sec to each consecutive steeping.
Shelf life: Fresher the better
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