Organic Wu Yi Oolong (Arbor Teas)

This tea is a bit of a departure from the mostly Shui-Xian-based teas that dominate the mid-to-lower-priced Wu Yi teas.  I would group it with those teas that are composed predominantly of the Qi Zhong varieties, i.e. varieties that have not achieved famous status, but still produce a nice cup.  Of all the Qi Zhong, it is the Qi Lan variety that is most prominent in this price class.  In particular, the Qi Lan grown around Tong Mu Guan, the home of Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong), has been the standard bearer for this type of organic Wu Yi tea.  However, with the growing  popularity and availability of these organic Wu Yi oolongs, quality in general has slipped.  And, now it seems, so has supply.  Rishi tea, which sold a version of this tea that was specifically labelled as a Qi Lan, now describes their organic Wu Yi tea as a blend of different teas re-roasted for consistency.  Seven Cups, who offered a high-quality version of the tea, is either out of supply or has removed it from their offerings.  Let's see how the Arbor version holds up.

The dry leaf, which has a pleasantly smokey aroma, is rather typical in appearance and somewhat shorter than Shui Xian, for example.  Once steeped, the leaf shows signs of moderate roasting, and medium to medium-light oxidation.  There are a moderate number of stems in this leaf.

The tea brews up a medium amber, with an interesting aroma.  The aroma is more pine-like and smokey than typical, with a moderate intensity, a nice sweetness, and hints of earth, wood, light-roast coffee, caramel and just a bit of the floral.  Overall, it's very pleasant with a nice dose of complexity.

The tea soup is soft and smooth, with a moderate-to-full weight, a fairly complex flavor, a bit of sweetness, and a smokey note.  In the mouth, the tea is more soothing than exciting, and transitions fairly smoothly into an attractive aftertaste.

The moderately intense, and quite persistent aftertaste has a bit of a tang mingled with a some wood, fruit, and smokiness.

The dry-cup aroma is nice and sweet.

You can brew the leaves a few times.

Overall, this is a very pleasant tea that I particularly enjoy on a cold afternoon with a good book.  Having had better examples of the genre, specifically teas that were picked in spring and more carefully processed, I can't help but notice the comparative coarseness evident in this tea.  Nevertheless, I still enjoy this tea very much and would purchase it again.  At $16.50 for 7 oz., it's a nice alternative to similarly-priced Shui Xian.