When I bought this tea it was the second-highest-priced grade of the standard "Formosa oolongs" in Upton's catalogue. They've since switched things around and discontinued this tea.

I found this tea, moving up from the lowest grades (TT11-TT17), to be the first one that offered an appreciable difference, the first one that stood out, whereas the other teas were more similar to each other with only subtle differences. Appropriately, there was a price gap between this and the lower grades.

Whereas the other formosa oolongs from Upton have an earthy quality, the aroma of this tea is much more complex, and lighter in character although still equally strong. I would describe it as, mellow, warm, wholesome, and inviting. It strongly suggests ging...

Aroma is subtle and complex, but on the weak side: mostly of peach, with some weaker earthy tones. Flavor is tangy, with little bitterness. The aftertaste has a mild astringency. Thin-bodied.

Following Upton's recommendations I found worked alright--for a first cup. However, I tried to brew a second cup and there wasn't really any flavor left. I settled on steeping for a single, long infusion, and using more leaf than recommended. I also was able to make two infusions using a generous quantity of leaf, brewing for a minute, and then the second cup for 5+ minutes. But still, this yielded teas that were a bit thin.

I find this tea doesn't offer the best value. It's the lowest grade of Tie Guan Yin offered by Upton, but I think more expens...

Upton offers a number of different grades of Formosa oolong with only moderate differences in price...this one, by weight, costs less than 50% more than TT11, the "standard grade". Again, the leaf is broken, but in larger pieces than some of the lower grades. The dry leaf has a weak, earthy aroma.

The brewed tea is much richer in aroma, earthy, with certain tones almost reminiscent of Pu-erh. The floral quality faintly evident in TT15 is totally absent from this tea, which disappointed me. This tea is very smooth; there's much less bitterness than any of the lower grades, and there's also not much sourness or astringency. Mellow, but very full-bodied. However...in spite of being so smooth, it isn't very interesting.

I found that Upton's r...

It's not my favorite, but it is good in the morning.

I really like this tea, but I find that I have to use 2 tea bags per cup, otherwise the flavors don't really come out, even though the aroma is heavenly. This about doubles the price of the tea however, and for that price you can buy higher quality.

Intense lemon, with whispers of spice like cinnamon and cardamon.

This tea is incredibly resilient, it is hard to over brew! While it's fragrance is fair-good it tastes flat.