Oh… this is so good. So very, very good.
There was a time … early in my tea years when I first tried an Oriental Beauty … and I fell instantly in love with it. And for several years after that tasting, I thought that Oriental Beauty was the ONLY Oolong that there was. I didn’t know of the many different types of Oolong that I know of now (and I’m sure that I’m still rather ignorant when it comes to Oolong tea, because they still continue to amaze me, and I still seem to discover Oolong teas that are new to me). Since that time I’ve discovered many other Oolongs, some that I might enjoy even more than an Oriental Beauty (Ali Shan comes to mind), but, of the many Oriental Beauty Oolong teas that I’ve tasted, this one deserves to be right up there as one of the very best.
It is SO good. Sweetness touches my palate first, a sweetness that is somewhere between brown sugar and honey … leaning more toward the honey than the brown sugar. After just a moment of the sweetness, I notice the intense peach tones to match the wonderful peach-like aroma of this tea. By mid-sip there is a sharpness to contrast the soft sweet notes, a flowery note … this floral tone is sharp yet sweet, almost perfume-y. As the floral note heads toward the finish of the sip, the sweetness of the honey comes back so that it may linger in the aftertaste, which is light and sweet and delightful.
A truly lovely tea.
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Subsequent infusions are smoother, the sharper floral notes are softened significantly and the flavors become much more harmonious. They were really delightful as they were before, but I would say that they were much more distinct in flavor – the honey was a distinct note, as was the peachy flavor and the floral notes. Now, these flavors seem to have melded in a very unified and seamless way to create a smooth delivery from start to finish.
Subsequent infusions are smoother, the sharper floral notes are softened significantly and the flavors become much more harmonious. They were really delightful as they were before, but I would say that they were much more distinct in flavor – the honey was a distinct note, as was the peachy flavor and the floral notes. Now, these flavors seem to have melded in a very unified and seamless way to create a smooth delivery from start to finish.