"Doug Hazen, Jr." writes:

I've tried two varieties or types or styles (I'm not sure what the correct
word is) of Dahongpao, and they are so different I'm a little confused.

One type (e.g.: http://www.gray-seddon-tea.com/oolong.shtml, the Wuyishan)
has a pretty strong roasted/oxidized taste. The other style (e.g., same
site, the Reserve; also:
http://www.generationtea.com/store/p...9efd06e296a579)
seems much less roasted with a *much* milder taste. However the "light"
style is clearly considered the primo version, as it is MUCH more expensive.

Can someone explain the difference in these teas, with maybe some background
on its production, etc.? Also, why is the "light" one the primo expensive
one? (As may be obvious, the "dark" style is much more to my liking.)

First of all, it's risky to draw a trend from two cases. Please don't
assume that a more heavily roasted (or baked) tea will be cheaper or
worse. There could be many reasons for a difference in price.

That said, the heating of tea subsequent to the heating that stops
oxidation is believed to extend the shelf life of tea. It can also
tend to mask some of the underlying deficiencies in the flavor and
aroma of a tea by introducing new flavor/aroma elements. Which is to
say, if the underlying tea isn't too good or fresh, some vendors may
be inclined to roast it a lot as a kind of salvage operation.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html