Classic Phoenix Oolong

This Oolong is Oh-So-Lovely!

I will write more about this later. Right now… I need to be alone with this tea.

Thanks to Mercuryhime for letting me sample this one, and sorry I’ve taken so long to try it! I think I unfortunately may have underleafed yet oversteeped… it’s kind of astringent yet there’s not a ton of flavour. Of course, I also have plenty of lingering tieguanyin flavour in my mouth as well; I’m sure that’s not helping.

Anyhow, what flavour I am getting is a bit woodsy but also, strangely, a bit green like the TGY. I guess I’ll have to figure out later if that’s just contamination or something… I’ll leave the rating for the time being. I usually like woody oolongs, so expect if I brew this one correctly, I will like it too!

Long twisted leaves – completely accurate!

Reminiscent of honeysuckle – indeed! And a bitty nutty. Smooth – very smooth!

Beautiful all-round!

I’m not sure what honeysuckle tastes like…. but if it tastes like a flowery honey, then this is honeysuckle. Smooth and refreshing. It seems to need more leaf than the oolongs I’m used to. Then again, I’m used to balled up oolongs and these are sticky. Perhaps I should start weighing my tea?
By the third steep, something woodsy is coming through to join the honeysuckle.

A very enjoyable oolong. It makes a good everyday tea. One of these days, I’ll have to stop getting new teas and samples so that I can actually drink a tea enough for it to actually be an everyday tea.

Anyway! I wanted to give it a try before deciding if I wanted to send it out on a swap. Turns out this is totally swap worthy so a few lucky leaves are taking a trip a Canada. yaaaay!

This is the very first phoenix oolong for me! I got this from Mercuryhime I believe. The leaves are lovely Looking at leaf size/color/differences is one of the things I love about tea. These are long, wiry, and deep brown.
The tea smells very, hm, clean! It is very sweet and deep tasting. There is a distinct floral note that I keep coming back to. It is very pleasant and a bit roasted tasting on the end of the sip. ahhhh this is a good oolong!

Additional notes: Waiting ten minutes to steep for 3-4 minutes still results in a hint of bitterness. Maybe it’s just the leaves. Maybe I should be rinsing before steeping. I like the other flavors though… but it doesn’t taste quite the same as it once did. This is really just a note-to-self for future steepings. Lowering the rating for this one (92), since I’ve had about a billion awesome oolongs since this one. Sorry everyone!

I have been holding on to this oolong for far too long. Oolongs are hit or miss with me, so I’ve let the ones that I have sit in my cupboard unloved until I get in an oolong-y mood. Such a mood struck me tonight, and while it is going to wreak havoc on my sleep it has been a blessing to my taste buds.

This has a beautiful floral note with a nice bit of sweetness. After that there is a roasty note followed by a sharp, but not unpleasant, dryness. I just looked at other tasting notes, and, yes, honeysuckle is what I’m tasting. Wow, this is nice. Sleep be damned. This tea is worth it.