This is a good one! I’ve had it before and was impressed by its complexity, so I thought it would be the perfect sendoff before my weekend away with no gongfu equipment. I used around 5 grams in a 120 ml teapot, with steeps of 30, 20, 25, 30, 45, and 60 seconds, followed by steeps of 1:30, 3, 5, and 10 minutes.
Many oolongs have a faint first steep, but not this one. I get aromas and tastes of citrus and dried fruit, florals (Lilacs? Gardenias? I’m bad at picking out floral notes.), butter, menthol, spinach, and lots of other things I can’t put a name to. This tea is remarkably smooth and has an aftertaste that lasts several minutes. By the third steep, I’m just sitting and savouring that aftertaste. Caramel notes also seem to be emerging, and the dried fruit and citrus are getting stronger.
The fourth steep starts to move into more vegetal territory, though all the other flavours are still distinct. This tea also keeps getting sweeter, though the nuances are beginning to fade by steep six and the gorgeous aftertaste is gone. Even after ten steeps, it’s worth drinking.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tea, and while the price is a bit high, it’s a wonderful occasional treat.
Flavors: Butter, Caramel, Citrus, Dried Fruit, Floral, Gardenias, Menthol, Smooth, Spinach, Vegetal
