This time I tried the Jin Xuan, a special varietal that is grown in Alishan and also offers some milk oolong flavour. The dry leaf smells vegetal, sweet, and creamy milk with butter.
I prepared this using a porcelain gaiwan, using 2g of leaves and giving the leaves a rinse first. I used water at approximately 85 degrees Celsius. I began with a 10 second infusion time, adding 5 seconds per infusion for a pattern of 10, 15, 20, 25, etc. I personally found the liquor to have a more pale colour but rich savory and buttery aroma. The mouthfeel was creamy, somewhat thick, and a few infusions in I also found it delightfully squeaky.
The flavours are more umami to me, savory butter and reminding me of legumes, peas and edamame, but there is also a floral note and some sweetness in here too. It’s complex and quite amusing for the tastebuds. The first several steeps were always a burst of flavour. I carried on for 10 infusions, finding that even by the end the flavour was still quite consistent but mellowing. This is a delightful find!
Flavors: Butter, Cream, Umami, Vegetal
