Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
different. This
was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
"white whale"
oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.

Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
happened?
At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white whale")
Oolong are pretty much ok.
I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
quite
good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
tendency
to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
indistinguishable
from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
dealers. Again wha'
happened?

Time to call me Ahab?

WEL

On Feb 9, 5:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> different. This
> was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
> "white whale"
> oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>
> Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
> the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
> happened?
> At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white whale")
> Oolong are pretty much ok.
> I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
> TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
> quite
> good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
> Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
> tendency
> to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
> indistinguishable
> from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
> dealers. Again wha'
> happened?
>
> Time to call me Ahab?
>
> WEL

If you are looking for a good oolong tea. you have to choose oolong
from taiwan or Formosa , Oolong tea has become a religion or culture
among taiwan people. i use to order classic oolong from a tea store
online. http://www.jardinduthe.ca/eng/leafTea/oolong/
classOolong.htm , the favor is quite similar to the tiguanyin . even
better. and it is cheap. the service is fast .

best
corine

Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
queen from England with no taste in tea.

Jim

On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> different. This
> was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
> "white whale"
> oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>
> Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
> the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
> happened?
> At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white whale")
> Oolong are pretty much ok.
> I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
> TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
> quite
> good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
> Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
> tendency
> to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
> indistinguishable
> from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
> dealers. Again wha'
> happened?
>
> Time to call me Ahab?
>
> WEL

Well at least this package of Bai Hao tastes like the old Twining's.
And I can't fault it much on either flavor or aroma. This is only
the second year that I knew of the number of tea vendors on line.
For me it was either Upton or local oriental markets. My few books on
mostly replaced by this newsgroup and the various tea blogs. Most the
teas I have purchased have been never-buy-again disappointments, but
then the same tea style would probably vary in quality from vendor to vendor
as well as year to year. Still looking for nice earthy Oolong with a good
vegetal
aftertaste.

WEL

P.S. The Bao Hai was a 50 gm sample, now I am in for 1/4 lb.



"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
> High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
> tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
> Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
> tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
> notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
> queen from England with no taste in tea.
>
> Jim
>
> On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
>> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then
>> something
>> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
>> different. This
>> was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
>> "white whale"
>> oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>>
>> Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That
>> is
>> the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
>> happened?
>> At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white
>> whale")
>> Oolong are pretty much ok.
>> I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
>> TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that
>> was
>> quite
>> good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and
>> other
>> Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be
>> my
>> tendency
>> to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
>> indistinguishable
>> from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
>> dealers. Again wha'
>> happened?
>>
>> Time to call me Ahab?
>>
>> WEL
>
>

On Feb 9, 5:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> different.

The "Formosa Oolong" sold by Grace Tea Company has this peachy quality
that I, too, missed.

I served this tea, once, to a Taiwanese guy who was very into tea (and
a good teacher). His first response was that this tea wouldn't stand
up to a second infusion, though the first infusion was fine by him.

That's when I realized *how* it is possible to enjoy a tea that's so
*cheap* by people with high standards. This tea is probably
considered lower-grade in Taiwan because it can't be multiply
infused... whereas, for me, starting with the assumption that I will
only brew it once, it's nice (and cheap).

Well, that's my theory. Jump on it, guys

james-henry holland
hobart and william smith colleges
geneva, new york 14456 usa

=

"Thitherflit" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Feb 9, 5:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
>> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then
>> something
>> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
>> different.
>
> The "Formosa Oolong" sold by Grace Tea Company has this peachy quality
> that I, too, missed.
>
> I served this tea, once, to a Taiwanese guy who was very into tea (and
> a good teacher). His first response was that this tea wouldn't stand
> up to a second infusion, though the first infusion was fine by him.
>
> That's when I realized *how* it is possible to enjoy a tea that's so
> *cheap* by people with high standards. This tea is probably
> considered lower-grade in Taiwan because it can't be multiply
> infused... whereas, for me, starting with the assumption that I will
> only brew it once, it's nice (and cheap).
>
> Well, that's my theory. Jump on it, guys
>
> james-henry holland
> hobart and william smith colleges
> geneva, new york 14456 usa
>

James.

When I began drinking "good" I didn't know you were supposed to be able
make several infusions. I discarded the leaves after one, after all I was
brought
up on teabags of Swee-Touch-Nee tea. I still drink tea "american style": 6
gms.
per 10 oz. pot or cup, drink the whole thing. Now I can get at least three
or
four cups out of the leaves. I was given a complete Gong Fu set, but never
used
it. Too fond of the American Tea Ceremony I suppose.

Bill Lubarsky

On Feb 10, 6:24 am, "Space Cowboy" > wrote:
> Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
> High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
> tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
> Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
> tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
> notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
> queen from England with no taste in tea.
>
> Jim
>
> On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> > It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> > changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> > different. This
> > was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
> > "white whale"
> > oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>
> > Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
> > the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
> > happened?
> > At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white whale")
> > Oolong are pretty much ok.
> > I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
> > TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
> > quite
> > good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
> > Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
> > tendency
> > to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
> > indistinguishable
> > from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
> > dealers. Again wha'
> > happened?
>
> > Time to call me Ahab?
>
> > WEL- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Jim,
I just got some from "illu" (Dragon Teas? - China) on Ebay. It was not
terribly expensive and it is delightful. Floral, "spring-timey",
delicate and endured several infusions without diminishing flavour.
Right now, it is my fave....probably because I am sooo over winter and
it brings the promise of a change.
I was drinking a good deal of Da Hoa Pao this winter, which seemed
appropriate. Time to move on.
Shen

On Feb 11, 9:03 am, "Shen" > wrote:
> On Feb 10, 6:24 am, "Space Cowboy" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
> > High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
> > tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
> > Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
> > tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
> > notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
> > queen from England with no taste in tea.
>
> > Jim
>
> > On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>
> > > Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> > > It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> > > changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> > > different. This
> > > was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
> > > "white whale"
> > > oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>
> > > Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
> > > the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
> > > happened?
> > > At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white whale")
> > > Oolong are pretty much ok.
> > > I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
> > > TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
> > > quite
> > > good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
> > > Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
> > > tendency
> > > to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
> > > indistinguishable
> > > from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
> > > dealers. Again wha'
> > > happened?
>
> > > Time to call me Ahab?
>
> > > WEL- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Jim,
> I just got some from "illu" (Dragon Teas? - China) on Ebay. It was not
> terribly expensive and it is delightful. Floral, "spring-timey",
> delicate and endured several infusions without diminishing flavour.
> Right now, it is my fave....probably because I am sooo over winter and
> it brings the promise of a change.
> I was drinking a good deal of Da Hoa Pao this winter, which seemed
> appropriate. Time to move on.
> Shen- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Jim,
I just checked - it was a "best Offer" for 9.00 for 100 grams. This is
the second time I ordered it from him. And, it's Idllu (not Illu -
Dragon Tea House). He also has some "white Cockscomb". I think it's
about $500.00 a pound or something. Yikes!

I will, on occasion, drink "cheap" teas and still enjoy them. Not
being able to rebrew it well is not a sin... I mean, if the cheapness
compensates for that fact, that is.

However, teas that can't stand up to a rebrew generally will mean they
are thin and lacking much body, and also be a bit bland and boring.
If you're only after one thing in the tea, and the cheap one does the
job... then that's good. As with all hobbies though... once you've
gotten the good stuff, it's hard to turn back.....

MarshalN
http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN

On Feb 11, 11:52 pm, "Thitherflit" > wrote:
> On Feb 9, 5:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>
> > Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> > It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
> > changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> > different.
>
> The "Formosa Oolong" sold by Grace Tea Company has this peachy quality
> that I, too, missed.
>
> I served this tea, once, to a Taiwanese guy who was very into tea (and
> a good teacher). His first response was that this tea wouldn't stand
> up to a second infusion, though the first infusion was fine by him.
>
> That's when I realized *how* it is possible to enjoy a tea that's so
> *cheap* by people with high standards. This tea is probably
> considered lower-grade in Taiwan because it can't be multiply
> infused... whereas, for me, starting with the assumption that I will
> only brew it once, it's nice (and cheap).
>
> Well, that's my theory. Jump on it, guys
>
> james-henry holland
> hobart and william smith colleges
> geneva, new york 14456 usa
>
> =

On Feb 11, 12:22 pm, "Shen" > wrote:
> On Feb 11, 9:03 am, "Shen" > wrote:
>
>
> Jim,
> I just checked - it was a "best Offer" for 9.00 for 100 grams. This is
> the second time I ordered it from him. And, it's Idllu (not Illu -
> Dragon Tea House). He also has some "white Cockscomb". I think it's
> about $500.00 a pound or something. Yikes!- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Shen--

I don't find Idllu on ebay. The only "white Cockscomb" I find in ebay
is at Dragon Tea House, and it's $72 for 100 grams. Can you clarify
the name of the vendor you refer to?? By the way, Hou De also carries
a Bai Ji Guan; his is 2 oz at 37.50.

The old Twinings was the nuggets and not the munched leaf. My 4oz of
BaiHao wouldn't fit in a 113g tin. Twinings would have sold Bai Hao
as a tradename. The price of BaiHao was never in the penny/gram
range. It was mainly the Formosa Oolong I drank during the 70s,80s,
90s till it dried up and Al Gore invented the Internet. There were
other brands of FO over those decades. Any tea from Taiwan would meet
your definition if it isn't Bai Hao. If you can't wait and have
access to a Chinatown buy some Pouchong.

Jim

PS I'm sticking by my memories. Your Memories May Vary.

On Feb 10, 7:58 am, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> Well at least this package of Bai Hao tastes like the old Twining's.
> And I can't fault it much on either flavor or aroma. This is only
> the second year that I knew of the number of tea vendors on line.
> For me it was either Upton or local oriental markets. My few books on
> mostly replaced by this newsgroup and the various tea blogs. Most the
> teas I have purchased have been never-buy-again disappointments, but
> then the same tea style would probably vary in quality from vendor to vendor
> as well as year to year. Still looking for nice earthy Oolong with a good
> vegetal
> aftertaste.
>
> WEL
>
> P.S. The Bao Hai was a 50 gm sample, now I am in for 1/4 lb.
>
> "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
>
>
> > Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
> > High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
> > tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
> > Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
> > tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
> > notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
> > queen from England with no taste in tea.
>
> > Jim
>
> > On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> >> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
> >> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then
> >> something
> >> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
> >> different. This
> >> was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
> >> "white whale"
> >> oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>
> >> Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That
> >> is
> >> the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
> >> happened?
> >> At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white
> >> whale")
> >> Oolong are pretty much ok.
> >> I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
> >> TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that
> >> was
> >> quite
> >> good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and
> >> other
> >> Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be
> >> my
> >> tendency
> >> to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
> >> indistinguishable
> >> from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
> >> dealers. Again wha'
> >> happened?
>
> >> Time to call me Ahab?
>
> >> WEL- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I order from Gordon all the time. He is in Shanghai and if the boat
is in port my SAL can arrive in two weeks. His non puer prices seem
high but it is one stop shopping for anything from China. If he
doesn't have it he can find it. He recently went to samplers at my
suggestion. He is very responsive in email and his English is on par
with Danny and MarshalN. Your Ba Hao taste sounds representative of a
tea from Taiwan in general. Mine from a respected vendor doesn't.
I'd like to hear from others how they think their taste compares to
say Pouchong or Gao Shan.

Jim

On Feb 11, 10:22 am, "Shen" > wrote:
> > On Feb 10, 6:24 am, "Space Cowboy" > wrote:
>
> > > Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao.

> > I just got some from "illu" (Dragon Teas? - China) on Ebay. It was not
> > terribly expensive and it is delightful. Floral, "spring-timey",
> > delicate and endured several infusions without diminishing flavour.
> > Right now, it is my fave....probably because I am sooo over winter and
> > it brings the promise of a change.
> > I was drinking a good deal of Da Hoa Pao this winter, which seemed
> > appropriate. Time to move on.
> > Shen

> I just checked - it was a "best Offer" for 9.00 for 100 grams. This is
> the second time I ordered it from him. And, it's Idllu (not Illu -
> Dragon Tea House). He also has some "white Cockscomb". I think it's
> about $500.00 a pound or something. Yikes!

I have tried lots of Formosa Oolongs, very few have tasted like the old
Twining's.
I have two or three Pouchongs on hand now: all are very floral, not a hint
of the
apricot/peaches flavor. Besides the old Twining's leaf was brown after
steeping not
green like my Pouchongs.

WEL


"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> The old Twinings was the nuggets and not the munched leaf. My 4oz of
> BaiHao wouldn't fit in a 113g tin. Twinings would have sold Bai Hao
> as a tradename. The price of BaiHao was never in the penny/gram
> range. It was mainly the Formosa Oolong I drank during the 70s,80s,
> 90s till it dried up and Al Gore invented the Internet. There were
> other brands of FO over those decades. Any tea from Taiwan would meet
> your definition if it isn't Bai Hao. If you can't wait and have
> access to a Chinatown buy some Pouchong.
>
> Jim
>
> PS I'm sticking by my memories. Your Memories May Vary.
>
> On Feb 10, 7:58 am, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>> Well at least this package of Bai Hao tastes like the old Twining's.
>> And I can't fault it much on either flavor or aroma. This is only
>> the second year that I knew of the number of tea vendors on line.
>> For me it was either Upton or local oriental markets. My few books on
>> mostly replaced by this newsgroup and the various tea blogs. Most the
>> teas I have purchased have been never-buy-again disappointments, but
>> then the same tea style would probably vary in quality from vendor to
>> vendor
>> as well as year to year. Still looking for nice earthy Oolong with a good
>> vegetal
>> aftertaste.
>>
>> WEL
>>
>> P.S. The Bao Hai was a 50 gm sample, now I am in for 1/4 lb.
>>
>> "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
>>
>> oups.com...
>>
>>
>>
>> > Twinings Formosa Oolong was not Bai Hao. I think it was closer to
>> > High Mountain or Gao Shan. The product dried up in the 90's. I know
>> > tea memories are more misleading than not. While I'm here I got some
>> > Bai Hao last year and it was the most disappointing tea I've ever
>> > tasted given the fanfare. The taste was lackluster and no floral
>> > notes I associate with Taiwan. I think it would be a good tea for a
>> > queen from England with no taste in tea.
>>
>> > Jim
>>
>> > On Feb 9, 3:12 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
>> >> Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
>> >> It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then
>> >> something
>> >> changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
>> >> different. This
>> >> was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me
>> >> my
>> >> "white whale"
>> >> oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.
>>
>> >> Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea.
>> >> That
>> >> is
>> >> the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference.
>> >> Wha'
>> >> happened?
>> >> At least I know that my taste buds and flavor-memory of WW ("white
>> >> whale")
>> >> Oolong are pretty much ok.
>> >> I had begun accumulated a bunch of Oolongs about that time also mostly
>> >> TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that
>> >> was
>> >> quite
>> >> good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and
>> >> other
>> >> Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may
>> >> be
>> >> my
>> >> tendency
>> >> to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
>> >> indistinguishable
>> >> from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from
>> >> various
>> >> dealers. Again wha'
>> >> happened?
>>
>> >> Time to call me Ahab?
>>
>> >> WEL- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>

On Feb 11, 11:06 am, "Salsero" > wrote:
> On Feb 11, 12:22 pm, "Shen" > wrote:
>
> > On Feb 11, 9:03 am, "Shen" > wrote:
>
> > Jim,
> > I just checked - it was a "best Offer" for 9.00 for 100 grams. This is
> > the second time I ordered it from him. And, it's Idllu (not Illu -
> > Dragon Tea House). He also has some "white Cockscomb". I think it's
> > about $500.00 a pound or something. Yikes!- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Shen--
>
> I don't find Idllu on ebay. The only "white Cockscomb" I find in ebay
> is at Dragon Tea House, and it's $72 for 100 grams. Can you clarify
> the name of the vendor you refer to?? By the way, Hou De also carries
> a Bai Ji Guan; his is 2 oz at 37.50.

Jim, et al
This is the i.d. number - 280072643695 - this is Dragon Tea House.
Sometimes, it's difficult to find auction items/store items when you
do an Ebay search. This, however, is the tea I bought and I really
like. It was a "best offer" of $9.00 for 100 grams.It is quite
delicious. I know this is all very subjective.
Shen

lubarsky > wrote:
>Many years back my favorite tea was Twinings "Formosa Oolong".
>It had that ripe peach/apricot flavor and a wonderful aroma. Then something
>changed, the flavor was gone or at least changed to something very
>different. This
>was probably about the same time my Chinese History professor gave me my
>"white whale"
>oolong sending me on a now thirty-year quest.

Formosa oolong was basically any oolong that is from Formosa. If you
liked the Twinings, you might try the lowest grade of Tung Ting oolong
from Ten Ren, which is very similar.

>Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
>the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
>happened?

It's a better example of the same sort of tea. You can get a much cheaper
Formosa oolong for daily drinking if you'd like. In fact, you can probably
call Roy Fong and tell him you love the Bai Hao Oolong but you'd like a
cheaper tea in the same family for daily drinking and he'd probably come up
with a good one.

>TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
>quite
>good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and other
>Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
>tendency
>to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
>indistinguishable
>from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
>dealers. Again wha'
>happened?

Something in the nineties happened to TGY. It became extremely popular,
and the demand exceeded the supply. Now all the fashionable people who
were drinking TGY are now drinking pu ehr instead, so hopefylly the TGY
prices will come back down again.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

> Formosa oolong was basically any oolong that is from Formosa. If you
> liked the Twinings, you might try the lowest grade of Tung Ting oolong
> from Ten Ren, which is very similar.
>
>>Right now I am drinking a cup of Bai Hao Oolong from Imperial Tea. That is
>>the old "Formosa Oolong" flavor at an astronomical price difference. Wha'
>>happened?
>
> It's a better example of the same sort of tea. You can get a much cheaper
> Formosa oolong for daily drinking if you'd like. In fact, you can
> probably
> call Roy Fong and tell him you love the Bai Hao Oolong but you'd like a
> cheaper tea in the same family for daily drinking and he'd probably come
> up
> with a good one.
>
>>TGY's. I remember one tin canister of a cheap TGY "Tea Set Brand" that was
>>quite
>>good. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between the new TGY's and
>>other
>>Oolongs:they are beginning to all blur into each other. Now this may be my
>>tendency
>>to choose lightly oxidized Oolongs, but "Twelve Trees" is nearly
>>indistinguishable
>>from "Crooked Horse" or other green little fists that come from various
>>dealers. Again wha'
>>happened?
>
> Something in the nineties happened to TGY. It became extremely popular,
> and the demand exceeded the supply. Now all the fashionable people who
> were drinking TGY are now drinking pu ehr instead, so hopefylly the TGY
> prices will come back down again.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I used the term "Formosa Oolong" only since that was simply how Twining's
identified it.
I have has three or four Tung Ting teas over the years, but none has really
grabbed me so I
rather gave up on the variety. I have a large cardboard box filled with very
attractive tea
canisters all of which at one time held "Tit Koon Yum" or other variations
on the spelling.
They all probably came out of the same place with random contents. I only
had access to
one Chinese market for many years so I only bought what they had. The
internet then wasn't
even a gleam in Al Gore's eye.

WEL

"Space Cowboy" wrote ...
Scott Dorsey wrote:...


Tit Koon Yum is Cantonese for Tie Guan Yin. As we honestly share our
knowledge it turns out you've seemed to have tried all the major
groups of teas from Taiwan and none of them fit what you remember
about Twinings. It was good but not great and not unique. I think
you jerk us around. Cheap Tung Ting smells like fresh broccoli. It
doesn't get any more vegetal than that.

Jim

> I used the term "Formosa Oolong" only since that was simply how Twining's
> identified it.
> I have has three or four Tung Ting teas over the years, but none has really
> grabbed me so I
> rather gave up on the variety. I have a large cardboard box filled with very
> attractive tea
> canisters all of which at one time held "Tit Koon Yum" or other variations
> on the spelling.
> They all probably came out of the same place with random contents. I only
> had access to
> one Chinese market for many years so I only bought what they had. The
> internet then wasn't
> even a gleam in Al Gore's eye.
>
> WEL

Jim

I'm sorry, but when I started drinkin tea with regularity I had access only
to supermarket teas, and had NO tea knowledge.
The Twining's "Formosa Oolong" was one of the supermarket teas available
along with the usual "orange pekoe" varieties. I liked it. I drank it until
it went away.
This was close to forty years ago.

The tea that you think I am jerking you around with was in a opened unmarked
bag given to me by a college professor who received it from friends who came
over from China. He did not know what it was.

I sent the last teaspoon to another old professor of mine who was teaching
in Hong Kong to see if it could be identified. It got to him just as he was
packing to
come back to the 'states so he made a cup and drank it. When I was going to
school
in Boston I hit every Chinese market I could get to. My first vacation from
my first
job was spent in San Francisco Eating my way across Chinatown and shopping
for tea.
Lots of nice tea but no hits.

This may have been a cheap regional tea from my professor's home town. A
rare tea picked only during spring in the Year of the Dog . Or anything in
between,
I just don't know.

It was probably an Oolong. The leaves were dark before steeping and twisted.
The infusion was a clear very pale yellow when viewed in a white cup.
The flavor was aromatic and a bit woodsy (not woody) with a definite vegetal
after-taste. By this I mean the flavor of the water you cooked asparagus in,
not grass. The aftertaste was the only thing vegetal about it! No floral
notes that I
can recall. The leaves after steeping were large: the length was in the 20
to 30 mm
range. The color was either coppery with green blotches or green with
coppery
blotches.

That is it. Two Issues. What was the old Twining's FO and why did it go
away:
and what the hell have I been looking for since the early 1970's?

Bill Lubarsky

P.S.
I knew that Tit Koon Yum, Koon Yum, Ti Kuan Yin, etc. are all spelling
variations.
I also knew that Formosa Oolong means almost nothing in identifying a
specific tea.
That is why I used """" quotation marks in the earlier messages. I could
only report
how the tea was identified on the packaging.

Commercial FO disappeared when it became too expensive for the Brown
Betty. The only mysterious teas from China are the ones sold as the
private reserve of Shaolin monks or the like.

Jim

On Feb 14, 2:47 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
....I delete you...
> That is it. Two Issues. What was the old Twining's FO and why did it go
> away:
> and what the hell have I been looking for since the early 1970's?
>
> Bill Lubarsky

Ok.
I give up.
There are no mysterious Teas.
Everyone knows about High Mountain Kuding Yen Cha, and Yunan Golden Bud, and
Yong Chun Fo Shu, and Bai HaoYin Zhen, and Wei Shan Mao Jian and all and any
teas I might
come across. So it's just my particular ignorance. I have never actually had
any of these teas,
but if did and didn't recognize them... don't bother asking.

WEL

On Feb 15, 3:31 pm, "lubarsky" > wrote:
> Ok.
> I give up.
> There are no mysterious Teas.
> Everyone knows about High Mountain Kuding Yen Cha, and Yunan Golden Bud, and
> Yong Chun Fo Shu, and Bai HaoYin Zhen, and Wei Shan Mao Jian and all and any
> teas I might
> come across. So it's just my particular ignorance. I have never actually had
> any of these teas,
> but if did and didn't recognize them... don't bother asking.
>
> WEL

Hey, hey, guys,
I don't think anyone is being critical here - just throwing out some
suggestions. This group is really very, very helpful. I am a tea
novice and have learned so much by inquiring of this group.
A thought: why don't you get a hold of Twinings Customer Service and
ask them. I'm sure they would be of assistance in recognizing this tea
since they packaged it..........................
Peace, guys.
Shen

>
> Hey, hey, guys,
> I don't think anyone is being critical here - just throwing out some
> suggestions. This group is really very, very helpful. I am a tea
> novice and have learned so much by inquiring of this group.
> A thought: why don't you get a hold of Twinings Customer Service and
> ask them. I'm sure they would be of assistance in recognizing this tea
> since they packaged it..........................
> Peace, guys.
> Shen

Shen.

Right now the Twining's is a side issue.

What I have learned over the past week or so is that there are styles in tea
that come
and go. Right now the green and gold Oolongs seem to be in and the more
oxidized
pan-fired ones a bit on the out. Tea seemed to be a product with such a long
history
and tradition that change and innovation was never anything I thought about.
Well
there seems to be not only new styles but new varietals. Who knew?
I see now that it was unrealistic to expect that anyone could identify one
Oolong out
of lord knows how many by any means outside of actually having some. I also
didn't expect
even under the category of Wu Yi Oolongs there were so many!

Tonight I tried some new green teas that really have surprised me. Usually I
dislike green
tea since I have had to many that were astringent and/or ashy (yes, I know
now that the
astringency is desired in some green teas). But you live and learn.

I will still consider my last purchase of Bai Hao Oolong as being close to
the "type"
of Formosa Oolong whatever it's origin. I will try to stay away from TGY's
for a while
since: 1 I have enough to last me for the next six months; 2 I honestly can
not tell most
of them apart.

Bill Lubarsky