Ahh, floral oolongs: my latest obsession. I’ve always loved jasmine teas, and then I discovered rose-scented teas, but my world opened up when I discovered that other flowers can also be used to scent teas, and that high quality oolongs can be incredibly floral on their own, and the combination of the two is often spectacular. This is another courtesy of the lovely QuiltGuppy!
The dry leaves smell slightly floral, but it seems like it’s a very different floral than the brewed aroma. I think I’m getting mostly the oolong itself: vegetal but darker and richer than a green.
It’s definitely a very floral tea, but it’s not overpowering (for me at least). In the aroma of the steeped tea you still get the green, vegetal notes of the oolong base, which also come through in the flavor. The orchid flavor reminds me of the magnolia oolong I had recently, and thus reminds me a bit of jasmine as well. This tea isn’t one of those florals that is so floral that it’s sweet; that’s tempered a quite a bit by the oolong notes. I think the two play off each other well, delivering a floral tea that isn’t too overpowering. Overall I’m really enjoying this tea; thanks for another awesome experience, QG!
i love this tea…the Republic of Tea also produces a limited number of loose leaf tins of tea a year and it is amazing