For someone who loves floral oolongs, I don’t drink many flower-scented teas, maybe because I had a few in my early tea discovery days that tasted like they were drenched in cheap perfume. Thanks to Fong Mong for letting me give these teas another chance. I’m actually surprised that others haven’t reviewed this jasmine oolong before (or maybe it’s under another name and I can’t find it in the database).
The 6 g sample I received presented a brewing quandary. I have no medium-sized vessels, only small gongfu teapots and large 355 ml mugs. I usually use at least 4 g of leaf for these mugs, which would have left a measly 2 g for another, probably disappointing session. Instead, I opted to brew the whole shebang in 185F water for a number of short steeps: 1:30 minutes, 2:30 minutes, 4:00 minutes, 6:00 minutes, and 8:00 minutes.
The first steep hits me in the face with its fresh jasmine aroma, and the taste follows through. Although I get some creamy and vegetal notes, the main impression is of heady jasmine. The tea is not in the least astringent. The second steep is very similar, though perhaps not quite so floral. By steep three, the fact that it’s an oolong is becoming more apparent. Steeps four and five reveal more grassy and vegetal flavours, but the fragrant jasmine is still very evident.
This is a highly refreshing tea that would be excellent iced. The jasmine seems real and not overly perfumey, although it does overshadow the oolong almost completely.
So does this mean I’ll seek out more of these teas in the future? Maybe, though I still like the complexity of straight oolongs. Nevertheless, I’m glad I got to try it.
Flavors: Creamy, Grass, Jasmine, Perfume, Smooth, Vegetal
It’s the same with me. I like jasmine tea and always keep some around, but I seldom reach for it. Naturally floral teas are so much more interesting.