Going through my Lupicia bounty, here’s Golden Osmanthus. It’s a lightly roasted oolong with a prominent floral note. Given the name, I’d have assumed this was actual osmanthus, but Lupicia has an interesting disclaimer, saying the tea has a “natural elegant aroma similar to osmanthus flowers.” Is it really inherent to the leaves, or is there some undercover floral enhancement going on here? Why imply osmanthus? Most Western tea drinkers will not be familiar with it anyway. A mystery. Perhaps it’s the tea version of those painted pink “crab sticks” which are made of some sort of white fish and have nothing to do with crustaceans.
Back to the tea…it’s less green/astringent than some other oolongs, probably due to the lighter roasting. It did lend itself well to two steepings. It’s refreshing and pleasant, but I won’t be repurchasing. I prefer Lupicia’s Passionfruit, Amanatsu and Mango Oolongs to this. However, if you’re looking for a light-bodied oolong with less astringency and mysterious floral notes, this would be a fine choice.
