Review topics: ["taste","aroma","fragrance","tea","texture","date","notes","drinker","rou gui","premium"].
Reviews
Too expensive
"I drink Yancha about 90% of the time, so I’ve had more Rou Gui sessions than I’d ever publicly admit. When I tried this Ma Tou Yan Rou Gui, I expected something with a little spark. Instead, it turned out to be one of those teas that’s totally fine, perfectly drinkable, but nothing special. To be fair, the terroir feels real. It has that clean mineral vibe, and the cha qi is honestly the highlight. It hits you in that familiar way: like an ocean wave - when you close one eye, gently rocking on the water near the shoreline, and then suddenly the shore is nowhere to be seen. Drink it in the morning and you’ll glide through your tasks like you accidentally activated “robot mode. ” But flavor? It stays pretty quiet. Nothing bad, nothing off - just nothing that screams “premium Rou Gui” either. And honestly, if you put this next to the “premium Da Hong Pao” from your local tea shop, you might not even notice the difference. Pretty much same tea. And here’s the real issue: at this price, I honestly don’t see the point of drinking it. For the same money, you could grab a Da Shui Keng Rou Gui or something from a more expressive terroir - teas that actually give you a moment of “oh wow” instead of “yeah, that really default yancha. Why i spend so much money for it?. ” Overall, it’s not a bad tea at all - smooth, pleasant, great energy. If it were half the price, I’d call it a solid daily drinker. But at this cost? Hell naw . In conclusion, I want to say: it’s hard to drink this tea and even harder to evaluate it, simply because it’s too ordinary for its price. Honestly, it’s just like a regular Da Hong Pao - nothing special at all."
— Daniil P. (2/5)
Excellent
"A very high quality oolong. When brewed, you're instantly hit with a strong, initially sweet dried fruit aroma which transitions into one that's more of a cinnamon spice. Smooth and gentle roasted flavours. A touch of salt. Thick buttery texture that lingers well on the tongue. In the aftertaste, there is a hint of camphor at the back of the tongue. Sensation is warm, deep, and calming. This one deserves time to be savoured."
— Calvin N. (5/5)
Unique and Warming
"This tea has a lovely warm spice aroma and good minerality in the mouth. I find that when I am in the mood for a rock oolong I reach for this most often, despite having some other high quality Wiyu teas at hand that are more popular."
— MacGregor A. (5/5)
I admittedly love all Oolong.
"I admittedly love all Oolong. This varietal gives me the familiar flavor of the tea and all its qualities. The cinnamon comes in at the back of my tongue and enjoyable, subtle not sharp or spicy, as cinnamon can overwhelm me sometimes. Multiple steeps were given using grampa style my favorite method for all Oolongs."
— Mary S. (5/5)
Overall a really good tea,
"Overall a really good tea, however the high price might not exactly make this tea worth it (the premium Da Hong Pao for example is much cheaper yet still better). Smells amazing, but the taste doesn't exactly blow you away."
— Andrew C. (4/5)
A fantastic rou gui. The
"A fantastic rou gui. The sweet earthiness of Wuyi, but with the rou gui's characteristic cinnamon notes. It's smooth, flavorful, and easily steeps 6 or more times. One of the finest of teas."
— William R. (5/5)
Sublime
"Elegant, sophisticated, transporting. It went many, many rounds and taught me much about the impact of terroir."
— Terence W. (5/5)
Can't agree with 5 stars reviews
"The tea is not bad at all, but value is. This is good example of Rou Gui, but for that price especially with price of delivery there are number of offers on the market which are easily beat this."
— Prilupo (3/5)
Is has it all
"This tea is a good example of why we all love Oolong tea! It has it all: Dried fruits, smokiness, creamy, spicy, woody, salty caramel etc. It is all nicely balanced and is a delight to drink! I will buy this again for sure."
— Norvald D. (5/5)
Beautiful and subtle cassia aroma
"Exquisitely balanced, sparkling minerality, smooth and highly fragrant. The most delicate and pure cassia fragrance I have ever experienced in a rougui before. Brewed 5g leaf in a 100ml qingshuini pot with freshly boiled water: brief rinse, steeped 30s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 1m, 1m30s, 2m, 3m, 5m, 8m, 13m, 20m. Amazing from beginning to end!"
— Christopher S. (5/5)
