This tea is produced and cured by a Japanese company called TEAET which wants to promote a particular selection of leaves from its country in practical tea bags. Among these special teas there is an Oolong. The leaves of this product have quite an high oxidation level around the 75% and so it is possible to see and taste many things in common with a red tea. Besides this feature, however, the leaves were also roasted enough to develop the typical sweetness and smoky tone of an oolong. TEAET specifically studied a blend of camelia’s cultivar made of Benifuki, Yutaka and Yamanami varietals in order to bring the West a different semi-oxidized tea compared to the most know ones from China.
The flavor profile of this tea starts showing up to the palate a note of toasted barley linked, as we mentioned before, to the roasting process after the oxidation phase. Passed this toasted and slightly dry beginning it comes a little sweet and dried fruit taste with an oily texture followed, in the end, by a great tannic aftertaste. So, in this case, because of the high oxidation level, the tasting session will end with the typical flavors of a Japanese red so likely a Wakoucha or a Benifuki.
Place of origin
Kagoshima, Japan
Production
After the harvest the leaves wither under the sunlight for a certain period of time before going on bamboo trays indoor. Here it’s where the oxidation process begin thanks to the tea master who rolled the tea leaves on the trays. When the leaves have the desire oxidation level (here there is an oxidation level around the 75%) the leaves go into an oven heated up by coal where the enzymes related to the oxidation process are deactivated. After this phase the leaves are mechanical rolled in their final form before going into a series of roasting period where the product is dried a bit more and consolidate its flavors.
Preparation
In order to fully appreciate this tea in it’s tea bag format we suggest you to take a mug of around 200 ml, putting the product inside and pour some water at a temperature of 90°C directly on the leaves.
Let the tea beg steeping for 60 seconds and then the infuse will be ready to taste.
This tea could be infuse a second time with a steeping time of 90 seconds.
Our recommended steeping time could be modify on your personal preferences.
We recommend you to store this tea in a dry and cool place avoiding the direct sun light on the leaves.