Ali Shan is one of my favorite oolongs, and this one from Adagio doesn’t disappoint. Vegetal, minty, light, buttery, complex, a bit grassy, and a little sweet, the flavors of this tea just keep you guessing. Each infusion brings something a little different out from the leaf. One of the most beautiful things about this tea is comparing the dry leaf to the infused leaf. Because of how tightly it is packed it really goes through quite the transformation as it unfurls. In my cup today there is even a stem with two leaves intact. It just goes to show how much care the growers are putting into this tea.
I have a couple different brewing methods I suggest you try.
For more vegetal, grassy taste: 205º-212º for 5 minutes
For sweet, buttery taste: 185º-190º for 3-5 minutes
As Adagio notes, this tea is good for many infusions. I’ve been able to steep this tea 8-10 times before noticing a decline in complex flavor.
