It feels like I have just scratched the surface of my experience with Oolong tea. It's no wonder since there are hundreds of types of Oolongs with differing combinations of harvest season, region, and tea bush varietals. It's even more amazing considering the growing regions are restricted to China’s Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, and Taiwan (I have recently discovered that there is one estate in New Zealand that is growing Oolong! But that is for an upcoming post!). I have tasted different varieties and qualities of Oolong, but I do not yet know how to taste the difference in harvests (something I am starting to understand with Darjeeling).
I steeped the tea for about 5 minutes, and it produced a bright yellow liquid. It created a sweet aroma reminicient of honey and flowers. There is also a slight vegetal smell. The taste starts out with an herbacious/green flavor then becomes smooth, with honey and a dominant floral taste. There is a slightly nutty, smokey flavor towards the end. It is also noticably astringent, which makes me wonder if I oversteeped it. A beautifully subtle floral yet smokey taste lingers. This reminds me of other high end oolongs I've had before, but a bit lighter, and not as robust.
This oolong will definitely hold up to multiple steeps. So far I have steeped it twice, and the flavor is becoming more floral, and less bitter. The honey note is also disappearing. It is now light and refreshing. I can't compare this tea to a fresh Winter Tea batch, but I am glad that I was able to sample it. Even with a few years of age, there is a lovely oolong flavor to this tea.
There is so much to learn about oolongs, including different methods of preparing the tea. As I continue to learn, I will share my experiences.
Surely nice article. I have read it carefully and benefited from it so much. Thanks. I also like tea, but I like Oolong Tea better. I suggest you to write more about oolong tea and that will surely attract more visitors.
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