85

2020 Spring Harvest

Aroma: Creamy, floral, with the touch of sugar

I had not planned to order this one. Like I actually thought I’d selected an Ali Shan oolong up to the point that it arrived and was like “oh yeah, I went with this Mei Shan oolong for some reason.” I didn’t even register (read) that this was a Jin Xuan either… and this is all just my way of saying that I’m not always the most discerning or detail-oriented consumer.

This definitely tastes like a nice, creamy Jin Xuan. It’s light, smooth, and almost watery (think cucumber) until the creaminess sinks in (cucumber and cream makes me think of raita or taziki, but this is much more mild and buttery.. It also does not taste of onions, thankfully!). There is a kind of tangy but equally mild sweetness to finish in the second steep. It reminds me of apples, believe it or not. Some of this might be attributed to the intense amount of coffee that is being ground in the kitchen right now, which has since permeated through the whole house.

Steep Count: 3 so far. This is a sipdown though so I’m going to try and drink this until the sun goes down!

Flavors: Apple, Butter, Cream, Cucumber, Floral, Sugarcane

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
derk

Maybe the coffee maybe not. I get apple sometimes in Taiwanese oolong.

Courtney

The mix up :) but it sounds like a tasty tea nonetheless!

Crowkettle

Yep! No regrets in purchasing this. It was also slightly cheaper than what I initially planned to go with! According to What-Cha’s website, Mei Shan is a “less fashionable” mountain. Good stuff and easy to drink.

I still question apple as I didn’t notice it before, but often the fruit notes in oolong are fickle creatures…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Comments

derk

Maybe the coffee maybe not. I get apple sometimes in Taiwanese oolong.

Courtney

The mix up :) but it sounds like a tasty tea nonetheless!

Crowkettle

Yep! No regrets in purchasing this. It was also slightly cheaper than what I initially planned to go with! According to What-Cha’s website, Mei Shan is a “less fashionable” mountain. Good stuff and easy to drink.

I still question apple as I didn’t notice it before, but often the fruit notes in oolong are fickle creatures…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer