I had tried a sample of this AU oolong a few months ago, and didn’t order more. I’ve since started hard down the single-origin road, learned they were discontinuing it, watched my damn panic button light up, and slapped a big-ass bag into my cart. It’s fine — it’s technically groceries, right?
Anyway. Nope, it’s not my favorite oolong, but this is good tea and I’m glad I grabbed it.
To be perfectly honest, the only place I got lemon (one of AU’s few tasting notes) was coming off the leaves as they sat in my pre-heated pot. Frosting, lemon, spinach, floral, and… roast? Hm.
The nose on the first steep was nearly empty, but flavors of spinach, umami, and that milk oolong creaminess came through. Still not much on the nose off the second — I could coax rice if I really tried. Some toast, vegetal flavors, and elusive florals as it cooled. Finally smelled grass on the third steep, with light florals and astringency, spinach, umami, and toast.
This tea leaves room for exploration and discovery, and can also be a nice easy session. Maybe I’ll find that lemon in one of these, uh… 70 cups…
Flavors: Astringent, Cream, Floral, Frosting, Grass, Lemon, Spinach, Toast, Umami, Vegetal
