What our customers say

The Whiz Kid

I was told that it is not an easy tea to prepare nor to appreciate, so I was a little anxious when opening it.
I choose to brew it with a low leave to water ratio and it immediately appeared that the real complexity of the tea is that it can offer a wide range of tastes.
In these conditions, this tea develops very sweet and gentle taste of plum and date, brilliantly balanced by the woodsy aromas from the baking process.
I am eager to prepare it again with other parameters, I am already amazed by its the wide range of possibilities.
To summarize, to me this tea is not the wild child I expected but a more a whiz kid who can show you tons of wonderful tastes if you can guide him.
Thanks to all Tea Hong staff for this great discovery!
( A paragraph is edited out for a discussion about another customer’s comment. Detail discussions are more suitable when carried out in forums, such as the one in TeaGuardian.com — note by Tea Hong )

This tea became one of my favorite floral Dan Congs. Most of the mostly floral Dan Congs from other vendors that I’ve tried have the tendency to taste quite one-dimensional. So after a few infusions their taste becomes less complex and less interesting. This tea is quite different because its taste becomes more complex in the later infusions. It starts with a very strong floral aroma and in the second or third infusion some slightly fruity and honey-like undertones add more interesting dimensions to the taste that still don’t distract from its elegant and calming floral aroma. The aroma is very clear with lots of high notes that give it a quite noble taste.

I prefer to brew it in Chaozhou clay to preserve the high aromatic notes while giving the tea a thicker more honey-like texture in the mouth feel.

It is a great tea to relax and calm the mind. It is quite easy to brew, doesn’t turn bitter when brewed too hot or too long. This makes it a great tea to have during philosophical conversations with friends.

Soft & creamy

What a wonderful Wuyi oolong. It have all the character of teas from this area but in a softer and creamiest way. Deep and subtle smell . Nothing cares when you drink it. A must try before die.

Reply

I am glad to hear from a customer the kind of attachment he can develop for an Yixing pot like I can. Welcome to the world of tea.

The wuhui shao method is for creating the colour of the clay and is independent of clay quality. As you have guessed, it is done after the pot is properly fired.

This particular pot you bought is of low density but not necessarily low temperature. In real Yixing clay firing, even low temperature is around 1000°C, unless it is not of Yixing material. The density of a pot can be affected by the clay composition and treatment it has received prior to pot making. For example, a mix of combustable materials in the clay or clay that has been fermented for very long can result in low density yet fired at high temperature.

High density, for the same reason, does not always mean a genuine clay fire at high temperature. For example, some people mix glass and iron in ordinary clay to make it high density.

At the end of the day, it is the tactility and infusion effects that matter.

This particular pot has a matte finish, quite porous because of the low density and this finish. To old tea nerds like me, this is a great fun to season, because it takes in a lot of tea before it really transforms. That means time and patience. The infusion effect can be worse than the gaiwan in the beginning for this porosity but gradually changes. It is that kind of pot that requires real attention. However, when result gradually becomes obvious, it is the joy of “raising the pot”.

I hope that answers your questions. Please let me know otherwise.

Cheers,
Leo Kwan

Smooth and minty

This is a wonderful Ruby 18. It is very smooth, with a strong minty taste. Just what I was hoping for. High quality stuff.

Glad that you like it. Phoenix Classic really is a good choice for many different occasions!