Light Roast Organic Oolong Tea

“Light” really describes this one best. It tastes a bit like a light Oriental Beauty. I noticed some strawberry notes and many lemon juice notes. Unfortunately, this didn’t endure very many infusions. Refreshing and nice, but not as Oolong-long-lasting as I expected.

EDIT: A Retry with some more leaves got it fixed up to 7 infusions now.

Read the whole thing on my blog:
http://chazichaxi.blogspot.de/2016/02/tea-tasting-organic-spring-2015-light.html

Accuweather just crushed my hopes and dreams…again. Every year I wish for a blizzard on my birthday, growing up in the South it was pretty much impossible, living in Pennsylvania I got some lovely snow squalls, but never a full on blizzard. In the Midwest, well, the weather here is just weird and I never know what is going to happen, sometimes we get storms in the middle of November, other times it is sleeting. Well, the monthly forecast just said we will have record warmth, boo, like up in the 70s, but then it is supposed to be down again, but not in the snow temperatures. Maybe next year I will get my blizzard.

Today is another tea from Eco-Cha, their Light Roasted Organic Oolong Tea, handpicked in April of 2015. Remember the Indiegogo campaign last year, all about Organic Oolong? I blogged about the campaign and Mr. Lin’s inaugural harvest, and well, this is the Spring harvest, harvested from young plants, some of which are just being harvested for the first time. And more excitingly, this is a newly registered hybrid, mixing a Qingxin and an earlier cultivar, designed to be, among other things, resistant to root rot (that most smelly of molds) the bane of many gardeners. The aroma of the curled leaves is toasty, roasty, goodness! Notes cooked acorn squash, chestnut, toasted sesame, peanut butter, and freshly toasted bread after out of the leaves as I sniff them, and sniff them I did…a lot. I love roasted oolong notes, and that surprise peanut butter note amused my nose immensely.

Gaiwan time, and the aroma of the soggy leaves is so toasted, like freshly toasted bread, specifically a sweet honey-heavy bread rather than a strong grain bread. There are also notes of acorn squash, sesame seeds, and again with the peanut butter. The liquid is oh so sweet, notes of honey and toasted sesame seeds, baking sweet bread, gently toasted oats, and a hint of lingering nuttiness.

First steeping time, and it starts with a delightfully creamy mouthfeel, creamy without being very thick, so it maintains its lightness about it. The taste starts sweet, middles sweet, and finishes sweet, though the kinds of sweetness vary. At the beginning it was honey sweet, then it moves to acorn squash and sesame seeds, and the finish gentle toasted oats and peanuts.

Onward to the second steep, ah, truly, nothing like a roasted Oolong on an autumn day, it really does blend perfectly. The aroma is sweet and nutty, blending toast and squash with a hint of sesame and peanuts, with a thick honey sweetness that runs through the entire sniffing experience. The taste is nice and sweet, notes of honey and toasted sesame, acorn squash, peanuts, and a nice rich toasted bread note that really pops in the middle. At the finish there is a gentle spice and rolled oat note that gives the tea a nice harvest quality.

Third steeping, and the aroma of this one is still going strong with toasted notes of sesame, acorn squash, honey, and a gentle spice reminiscent of nutmeg. The taste is mellow, toasted, and sweet. This is not the kind of roasted Oolong that will kick you with charcoal, it is sweet like freshly baked bread and honey, with a harvest note of rolled oats and squash. I am content with my cup of roasted Oolong, enjoying many more steeps.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/11/eco-cha-light-roasted-organic-oolong.html