Imperial Oolong

Hi, Bought some 'Imperial Oolong' from One Tea House in Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong last October. Lightly roasted and tightly rolled. Brews to a very light golden colour - with the most subtle tint of green, huge floral note and a delicate and sweet taste which lingers on the palate long after the tea is gone.

I'm guessing from Wuyi mountain area, but can't be sure.

I know this is a long shot, but looking for same to replace. One Tea House doesn't appear to have a web presence - and a Google for Imperial Oolong doesn't appear to present anything that resembles it.

Would anyone know this tea by a different name or of a vendor that may have some available ? It wasn't particularly expensive, about US$25 for 100 grams.

Cheers Mal (on behalf of the cheese and kisses) Oz

Reply to
Draconus
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Hi

If it's tightly rolled and lightly roasted, then your chances of it being from the Wuyi area is next to none. Likely it's from the Southern Fujian area, although given the description, it's probably even more likely a Taiwan tea.

I'll be back in Hong Kong in two weeks. If you really want, I can go buy it for you and ship it to you in Australia. I've been looking for an excuse to go to that place and look around anyway. I've heard they are pretty hard-sell, so I've avoided going in, but since I can go in knowing I'm going to buy something (for you), I can escape spending money if I don't see anything I particularly want :)

Email me and we can try to work this out.

MarshalN

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Reply to
MarshalN

My local tea shoppe sells Imperial Gold Oolong which is a lightly oxidized TGY. It meets your physical description and with a stretch your taste description. It is sold on the Internet under the same. Mine is half the price of yours.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

I've seen this tea in Oakland Chinatown as Imperila Gold, as well. In the newer chi-chi shop it runs about $78.00 a pound. In the grocery/ herb store/tea shop, it's about $60.00 a #. Both places call it "Imperial Golden Ooolong". I have an oz (from the grocer) and it does taste similar to a brighter/lighter TGY. I'm hardly an expert, though. Still, these are much cheaper. Shen

Reply to
Shen

IMHO any oolong can be sold under any name, with no particular reference to either quality, origin, or anything else. If I have some Taiwanese oolong I can call it Monkey Picked, Imperial Oolong, Formosa Oolong, Jade Oolong, or any other thing as long as I please, since these are not really specific names for any kind of particular tea AFAIK. They're not trademarked. I can do the same for any TGY that I have. At least Oriental Beauty should all be Oriental Beauty, but even then, we know there's good and bad Oriental Beauties out there, and the good ones aren't always the most expensive.

MarshalN

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Reply to
MarshalN

It's been awhile since I had Imperial Gold but it just struck me it might be what literally rattles around in Butterfly Brand TGY tins at a much cheaper price.

Jim

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Reply to
Space Cowboy

Marshall, I really appreciate the offer (and will contact you), but I fear the OTS outlet will be shut down now. This is the one actually right inside the Ferry terminal, not across the road in Star House. When were in there last october they advised they were closing down in December 06. But hey, they might have changed their minds - so we could still be in luck.

But yeah the woman who was there really put the hard sell on us - she was lucky my wife fell in love with the Oolong we tasted/purchased otherwise we would have walked. The chap in there though seemed to be more reasonable - he was far more happy for us to walk around and ask silly questions. Not that you could walk around much - rather than a swivel on the spot !

Will be in touch. Cheers Mal Oz

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Reply to
Mal from Oz

Dunno, I have a Butterfly Brand Ti Kuan Yin (FL112) and it's nothing like it - far more green. But BB do produce others - so who knows.

This shop was not cheap - i.e. she wanted HK$50 for a stainless steel filter which I can get in Oz for $3.50. I was also looking for a small tea tray for my desk at work - HK$990 was her price for one approx 10" by 6" with a stone tray top. Got the exact same item in Sheung Wan for 1/3 of the price.

But ! the chap in there sitting quietly at the back on a stool while she was venting her spleen, offered us what he claimed to be a 50+ year old pu-erh - the cake (or what was left of it) was as black as black can be. This stuff (god knows what it was) was probably the best pu-erh I have tasted - not that I have tasted too many yet. Distinct earthy and woodsey but not overstated, creamy and dark red/brown broth yet you could just make out the bottom of the cup. The aftertaste stayed with us for ages - it was el supremo.

The wife gave me 'that' nod - the one that says "i don't care how much it costs". Had to have some - but alas he didn't have any more and he wasn't going to part with the remnants of that cake I can tell you.

Anyway, waffling on, going now. Cheers Mal Oz

Reply to
Mal from Oz

I am in agreement with MarshalN in guessing it is some kind of Qing Xiang Wulong tea. I'd guess it's probably Tie Guan Yin because Taiwan Wulong is not exactly in fashion in HK right now, and Pu'er continues to be all the rage among tea drinkers. Hong Kongers don't drink as much tea as the mainlanders, so if it's really tea you are after, a trip onto the continent may be in order for you...although, unless you know where to go, it would be a lost trip.

Email me if you plan an mainland voyage. I could take you to some better places.

Reply to
Mydnight

I'd have to disagree here. While there's definitely a higher quantity of tea in the mainland, finding the good stuff takes considerable time and effort. Unless somebody's got a lot of time on their hands touring and spending a lot of that time on tea shopping, finding great tea (for a great price) in the mainland is no easy task, especially if that somebody happens to be a foreigner.

Honest Hong Kong vendors do the pre-selection for you, and for somebody who needs a good cup of tea (and there are plenty of good Taiwan oolongs there as well, by the way) and doesn't want to spend days looking for it, it's a great place to be.

MarshalN

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Reply to
MarshalN

Just been trolling through your webiste Marshall. I am no Chinese local but I think you are right about these egg tarts being everywhere in Macau. Although I have seen them rather frequently them in the outlying islands in Hong Kong too. Last trip I found some really, really fresh ones around 7am in Wan Chai. But I think you can find them in most places in HK if you look around but the predominance of them in Macau was marked.

Geez, they are so good !

...going back under my rock now. Cheers Mal Oz

Reply to
Mal from Oz

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