Rooteas Wuyi Rock Oolong Sampler Box Review
Hi all! For context, Rooteas is a smaller family tea company based in Wuyishan that started selling online a year or two ago, I haven't seen many mentions of them here so I thought I'd give their rock oolong sampler a try and put my thoughts~
da hong pao - toasty caramel, oak, clay and quartz dominate the flavor, but cocoa and the slightest whisper of smoke get a word in. this is a spring flush dahongpao which is new to me as from other companies I've mostly had fall flush; the two offer quite different experiences, but I definitely enjoyed it.
stone milk - bright, sweet, and perfumed. the mineral flavor intensifies in the second steep. lingers on the palate exceptionally well. if you're expecting something similar to a taiwanese style milk oolong, it is definitely not that, but a very nice yancha nonetheless.
bloom and nut - very nice roasty yancha with a dark red liquor. the rougui material is instantly recognizable with an opening of bold cinnamony fruit notes but followed by a lingering nuttiness.
bai rui xiang (winter daphne) - clean, mineral, and floral. tastes like the first blooms of spring and lives up to it's name; the slightly spicy sweet aroma is very reminiscent of walking by a blooming daphne bush on a cold early spring morning.
huang mei gui (yellow rose) - uniquely strong natural notes of rose petals with layered woody notes. remains in the nose for several breaths after every sip. strong sweetness, but less mineral than others in this collection.
rou gui - strong sweetness, berry notes, and lovely minerality. cassia is subtle but there.
old bush shui xian - toasty and strongly mineral. sweet toffee and caramel. fades to stone and moss.
golden edged qi lan (wonderful orchid) - lovely distinct floral aroma and slight cherry flavor. the liquor has a smooth velvety texture and leaves a little daffodil or lilly in the throat. robust minerality in later steeps.
overall a very nice sampler set! a bit more expensive than the bigger tea stores for sure but this makes sense given the company's smaller scale. a very good resource for trying new cultivars in my opinion; several of the varieties I've never seen available before, and the fact that all eight are grown on the same family tea farm allows you to compare varieties alone on the same terroir.