Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea

Oriental Beauty Dong Fang Mei Ren Oolong Tea is a particular oolong that in this day and age is mainly produced in the northwest area of the island of Taiwan. This tea has a long history mainly related to a particular aspect of its processing that originated in China but then over time moved to the island of Taiwan. This process involves letting insects (the green Jacobiasca Formosana fly) eat small parts of the young, tender leaves which, once harvested, will become the finished product.

It sounds like a rather strange processing practice, but its purpose is very specific and is to increase the concentration of terpenes in the tea. These compounds are aromatic molecules that the plant naturally produces to attract or ward off certain insects.When the plant is attacked, it reacts by secreting certain terpenes that we have learned to harness to give our tea an added sweetness. In the case of Oriental Beauty, some terpenes have been traced that are also found in high concentrations in honey and grapes.

Already in the aroma of this tea, in fact, we can detect a very sweet and sugary component and a slightly fruity hint that we will also find in the flavor of the liquor. Oriental Beauty is a tea that is extremely complex in its sweetness, presenting a varied range of aromas and flavors in which each component is perfectly balanced with the rest.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Oriental Beauty oolong tea leaves are small to medium in size, delicately rolled, with colors ranging from deep brown to coppery brown and lots of buds covered with soft silvery-white hair. Once infused, they give off aromas of fragrant wood, nuts, flowers, yellow fruits and honey. In the cup, the liquor is an intense color between dark orange and amber.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

The first infusion of Oriental Beauty oolong tea has sweet notes of lime honey and floral notes of rose. There is also a hint of sweet cocoa and then a fruity note appears, reminiscent of dehydrated apricots and dried figs. With the second infusion, the floral component becomes more intense and notes of lily appear in addition to rose, while hints of nuts such as almond and hazelnut blend with a spicy note of tonka bean. With the third and subsequent brews, notes of yellow fruit, particularly ripe peach, appear, and honey returns intensely, enveloping and lingering on the palate. A spicy cinnamon note then emerges on the finish, marrying beautifully with the sweet cocoa note already identified with the first infusions and lingering. The body is very soft and round with each infusion, never becoming overly dense.

WESTERN

The first sip of Oriental Beauty oolong tea has floral notes of rose and fragrant wood (sandalwood), immediately followed by a hint of sweet cocoa evolving into vanilla and a very sweet note of honey (linden, heather). A spicy note of tonka bean later emerges along with notes of nuts such as walnuts and roasted almonds. On the close, a fleeting slightly citrus note appears, as well as fruity notes of yellow peach, apricot, dehydrated figs and dates. The persistence is long and very sweet, with hints of cocoa and honey enveloping the palate.

Place of origin

North-west of Taiwan

Production

After harvest, Oriental Beauty leaves wither in the sun for a longer time than all other oolongs to further raise the terpene level before moving to a resting phase on indoor bamboo trays. Here it’s where the oxidation starts thanks to a manipulation of the leaves (the shaking) made by the tea master. Here, the leaves are often also left covered for a few stages to rest so that they warm up a lot and develop their sweetness even more. Once the tea reaches the desired level of oxidation, the leaves pass through a charcoal-heated oven where the enzyme activity is stopped. After this stage in the oven, the leaf is given its final shape using special machinery, before moving on to the leaf roasting cycles that allow the product to finish drying and enhance its flavors.

How to prepare

We strongly recommend infusing Oriental Beauty tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.

Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C and proceed with an initial 15-second infusion. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 10 seconds each time (15 – 25 – 35…).

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a more classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.

For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the brewing time is over. The infusion timings we suggest can be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.