Hey y'all.

It's been quite a few years since I read and posted on this newsgroup,
and I am much out of touch. But to get to the point, I am in search
of a very good, but not COMPLETELY break-the-bank, Formosa Fanciest
Oolong. I want to give it to my brother as a birthday gift. At the
end of this week. Oops.

I used to absolutely love the FFO from Akbar's Fine Teas - some of you
may recall, they were a wonderful online vendor with exquisite,
personal customer service and lovely teas. Theirs was soft in the
mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
price. But sadly, they are long gone, and the big Akbar Tea company
today has no relationship to the little outfit I remember so fondly.
Far's I know!

I would really appreciate recommendations. The only real stipulation
is that I must be able to order it online. (I'm on the northeast
coast of the States and my brother's on the southwest. About all we
have in common at the moment is birthdays in the same week.) Any
road, I think this would be the perfect gift; he has become a
teadrinker in the last few years and always asks my advice - that's a
delight in itself, the man is asking his 'big' sister for advice!
Woohoo! Gotta help! Get the boy good tea! Whew!....ah yeah, I am
eager.

Thank you all so much for any attention! I'll be taking your advice
for myself as well, so thank you doubly.

champing at the bit, a bit -

- Rook McNamara

P.S. Does anyone know if Ennien Ashbrook still reads this group? I
miss that woman.

On Jul 23, 11:06 pm, Rook <rook@yeah> wrote:
> Hey y'all.
>
> It's been quite a few years since I read and posted on this newsgroup,
> and I am much out of touch. But to get to the point, I am in search
> of a very good, but not COMPLETELY break-the-bank, Formosa Fanciest
> Oolong. I want to give it to my brother as a birthday gift. At the
> end of this week. Oops.
>
> I used to absolutely love the FFO from Akbar's Fine Teas - some of you
> may recall, they were a wonderful online vendor with exquisite,
> personal customer service and lovely teas. Theirs was soft in the
> mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
> just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
> price. But sadly, they are long gone, and the big Akbar Tea company
> today has no relationship to the little outfit I remember so fondly.
> Far's I know!
>
> I would really appreciate recommendations. The only real stipulation
> is that I must be able to order it online. (I'm on the northeast
> coast of the States and my brother's on the southwest. About all we
> have in common at the moment is birthdays in the same week.) Any
> road, I think this would be the perfect gift; he has become a
> teadrinker in the last few years and always asks my advice - that's a
> delight in itself, the man is asking his 'big' sister for advice!
> Woohoo! Gotta help! Get the boy good tea! Whew!....ah yeah, I am
> eager.
>
> Thank you all so much for any attention! I'll be taking your advice
> for myself as well, so thank you doubly.
>
> champing at the bit, a bit -
>
> - Rook McNamara
>
> P.S. Does anyone know if Ennien Ashbrook still reads this group? I
> miss that woman.

Try Upton's TT57. Toci

Rook,

Take a look at http://camellia-sinensis.com/boutique/?lang=en. They've got
some nice Taiwan oolongs.

I got an exquisite Taiwan pouchong from Imperial Tea Court last winter.
Roy's stuff is pricey, but I've never been disappointed with the quality.

Regards,
Dean

"Rook" <rook@yeah> wrote in message
...
> Hey y'all.
>
> It's been quite a few years since I read and posted on this newsgroup,
> and I am much out of touch. But to get to the point, I am in search
> of a very good, but not COMPLETELY break-the-bank, Formosa Fanciest
> Oolong. I want to give it to my brother as a birthday gift. At the
> end of this week. Oops.
>
> I used to absolutely love the FFO from Akbar's Fine Teas - some of you
> may recall, they were a wonderful online vendor with exquisite,
> personal customer service and lovely teas. Theirs was soft in the
> mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
> just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
> price. But sadly, they are long gone, and the big Akbar Tea company
> today has no relationship to the little outfit I remember so fondly.
> Far's I know!
>
> I would really appreciate recommendations. The only real stipulation
> is that I must be able to order it online. (I'm on the northeast
> coast of the States and my brother's on the southwest. About all we
> have in common at the moment is birthdays in the same week.) Any
> road, I think this would be the perfect gift; he has become a
> teadrinker in the last few years and always asks my advice - that's a
> delight in itself, the man is asking his 'big' sister for advice!
> Woohoo! Gotta help! Get the boy good tea! Whew!....ah yeah, I am
> eager.
>
> Thank you all so much for any attention! I'll be taking your advice
> for myself as well, so thank you doubly.
>
> champing at the bit, a bit -
>
> - Rook McNamara
>
> P.S. Does anyone know if Ennien Ashbrook still reads this group? I
> miss that woman.

On Jul 23, 9:06 pm, Rook <rook@yeah> wrote:
> Hey y'all.
>
> It's been quite a few years since I read and posted on this newsgroup,
> and I am much out of touch. But to get to the point, I am in search
> of a very good, but not COMPLETELY break-the-bank, Formosa Fanciest
> Oolong. I want to give it to my brother as a birthday gift. At the
> end of this week. Oops.
>
> I used to absolutely love the FFO from Akbar's Fine Teas - some of you
> may recall, they were a wonderful online vendor with exquisite,
> personal customer service and lovely teas. Theirs was soft in the
> mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
> just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
> price. But sadly, they are long gone, and the big Akbar Tea company
> today has no relationship to the little outfit I remember so fondly.
> Far's I know!
>
> I would really appreciate recommendations. The only real stipulation
> is that I must be able to order it online. (I'm on the northeast
> coast of the States and my brother's on the southwest. About all we
> have in common at the moment is birthdays in the same week.) Any
> road, I think this would be the perfect gift; he has become a
> teadrinker in the last few years and always asks my advice - that's a
> delight in itself, the man is asking his 'big' sister for advice!
> Woohoo! Gotta help! Get the boy good tea! Whew!....ah yeah, I am
> eager.
>
> Thank you all so much for any attention! I'll be taking your advice
> for myself as well, so thank you doubly.
>
> champing at the bit, a bit -
>
> - Rook McNamara
>
> P.S. Does anyone know if Ennien Ashbrook still reads this group?
> miss that woman.

This is a company I think is VERY reasonable for the high quality if
their teas - http://www.formosa-tea.com/
They are reliable and ship from Southern California. Their Ali-Shan is
very nice; as is Golden Day Lily.
I haven't bought from them recently; but, I've depended on them for
gifts of oolongs for tea newbies.
Shen

Rook <rook@yeah> wrote:
>
>It's been quite a few years since I read and posted on this newsgroup,
>and I am much out of touch. But to get to the point, I am in search
>of a very good, but not COMPLETELY break-the-bank, Formosa Fanciest
>Oolong. I want to give it to my brother as a birthday gift. At the
>end of this week. Oops.

Go to Ten Ren. Get their next to lowest grade tung ting oolong. Do not
let them try and sell you any higher grades; they are a lot more money
for tea that isn't a a lot better. The next to lowest grade is really
quite nice. The tung ting is a fairly dark style oolong, which I think is
a good thing but they have some greener ones too.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jul 24, 12:06 am, Rook <rook@yeah> wrote:

Theirs was soft in the
> mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
> just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
> price.

I don't think anybody else has addressed the "peachy" issue. I grew
up on Twinings' Formosa Oolong, and loved the "peach" quality... but
when I talk about that kind of oolong now, people look at me funny.

The only oolong I have found that is grown/selected/blended (or
whatever) for that quality now is from Grace Tea Company in NYC.
(Though I would be delighted to hear others talk about "peachy"
oolongs!)

The only real stipulation
> is that I must be able to order it online.

www.gracetea.com though, I get the impression that they are more
comfortable taking orders by phone: (212) 255-2935. (I have no
vested interest in this company.)

Their "Formosa Oolong Champagne of Teas" (8 oz, in a nice tin) is
$18.40 before shipping. Their "Winey Keemun English Breakfast" is
also an excellent blend, very accessible to a beginner, I'd think, and
with a certain profundity ($13.90 with tin, before shipping).

--james-henry holland

"Thitherflit" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Jul 24, 12:06 am, Rook <rook@yeah> wrote:
>
> Theirs was soft in the
>> mouth, peachy and very very gently flowery, not at all overwhelming,
>> just the loveliest experience I have ever had with tea, of any sort or
>> price.
>
> I don't think anybody else has addressed the "peachy" issue. I grew
> up on Twinings' Formosa Oolong, and loved the "peach" quality... but
> when I talk about that kind of oolong now, people look at me funny.
>
I got a dancong milan oolong from Jing that exudes a gorgeous peachy note
for the first few steeps, but I've not run across a Taiwanese oolong with
that quality recently.

Yeah, I remember Twinings' Formosa Oolong - you know, I think that's what
started me on the tea road - when I first detected the peach. Kind of
opened my eyes to the complexity of tea for the first time.

Dean

Y'all are swell, and have my thanks. I'm going to run around
(metaphorically) pricing things, and possibly chase the (what??
where'd it go??) now-elusive peach note (argh! It really has been a
long time since I followed tea closely! This pu-erh craze - ai yi!)
although Shen, what you wrote just speaks directly to me, somehow, and
sounds like you know just what I'm searching for for my tea-newt
little brother.

Yes sure I could say 'newbie,' but I always liked 'newt' better. It
makes me smirk.

Many thanks, everyone, and if anyone else has suggestions they've yet
to post, please, post ahead! I'm in the market for a lovely (peachy!
sob!) Formosa Fanciest myself.

- Rook