Happy new year everyone! Hope 2019 treats you well. I decided to begin the new year with something a little special and so I tore open this TTC sample which I had been holding onto for a while.
Dayuling is the crown jewel of Taiwanese oolongs yet, in my experience, often fails to live up to its reputation and high price. This one however comes close. Flavor wise, it was a real flower bomb presenting an amazing array of floral aromas and flavors, the most prominent being narcissus, honeysuckle, hyacinth, and wildflowers. There was also lots of tropical fruit in the aroma – everything from mango to passionfruit – but little of it came through in the brewed tea. Mouthfeel was clean, bright, and full bodied without being heavy.
Where this tea falls short is staying power. Most high quality oolongs give 8+ quality steeps however this began to peter out around the 6th. Decent by regular oolong standards but I expect a little more from higher altitude teas like Dayuling.
Flavors: Coconut, Flowers, Honeysuckle, Melon, Narcissus, Orchid, Passion Fruit, Pear, Pineapple, Tropical
My housemate brought home a blooming narcissus bulb. Got my first whiff of it. Now I’m excited to smell and taste it in gaoshan oolong.