Pomelo Flower Fragrance Oolong

The oolong base here is distinctly Jin Xuan, though a little under-equipped for the job of supporting pomelo flower fragrance. Quite “green” tasting; I don’t think the base necessarily needed to be more floral, but it could have done with less bitter-green and more creaminess. Disjointed. Might cold brew and try it iced.

2min 180F
The pomelo’s there but it’s super light. This was cheaper as they were upfront that the fragrance had faded quickly. First sip just tasted like hot water. Has some thicker body. A good bit of jade oolong taste peeking out especially as it cools.

4 min – longer steep brings out the flavor better. Now a hint of sweetness and pomelo.

I might try this cold brewed to see how it goes.

If you like scented teas and Taiwanese Oolongs you should try this tea, as it is good, and naturally scented. It and their Orange scented one are the Best scented/flavored teas I’ve had, not-including high quality jasmine teas.

As I’m not a fan of scented teas, I can’t help but compare it as a green Oolong to the other teas on the site, which it does unfavorably (the un-scented oolongs there are really good).. it only makes sense, taking into account the work put in to scenting.

(Brewed it by the recommend parameters in the product page)

I got this tea as a free sample with my order, thanks MST! I won’t rate it though, as it is noted as being past its shelf life on the website. Since it’s already late today, I opted for less leaf and western brewing.

The aroma is surprisingly weak and initially I don’t really get much pomelo fragrance, if any. There is a sea air like scent though. After second steep, I can definitely smell the pomelo blossoms. The taste is somewhat light and very floral with bitter finish. I get notes of spinach and pomelo, as well as citrus zest in general terms. The aftertaste is quite long and displays the pomelo fragrance nicely. It is savoury too, reminiscent of sourdough bread in fact. The body is light and mouthfeel drying, but not really astringent.

Unfortunately, I found that the way the tea made me feel was quite unpleasant. It quickly got into my head and upset my stomach, even though I had dinner not that long ago.

I was really excited when I saw this tea online. TTC once carried a pomelo flower scented oolong that was out of this world good. It’s still one of my top 10 Taiwanese oolongs of all time. I was hoping this could match the TTC tea but sadly it pales in comparison. The pomelo fragrance is just barely there and tastes like it faded a long time ago. Some unexpected bitterness was encountered when cold brewed and grandpa steeped. It was a little better when gongfued but still had a very faint pomelo flavor. The underlying Jin Xuan is thin-bodied and doesn’t contribute much to taste either.

I just saw that this tea was discounted on Mountain Stream’s website with a note explaining that it was now past its shelf life. That’s a little surprising considering it was harvested only a few months and sealed but would explain my experience. I do appreciate the vendor’s honesty though. May consider trying it again in the future if I can get my hands on a fresh batch.

Summer Vacation! I’m onto Taiwan now, and while I don’t have a lot of Taiwanese teas in my collection, they usually bode well for me (I really like Taiwanese oolongs!) Depending on how this last week of August goes, if I run out I may make a vacation stop in Thailand or Vietnam… we’ll see!

First up is this sampler that was gifted by derk! Thank you derk! I have never tried anything pomelo-flavored (or eaten anything pomelo for that matter) which is what made me curious about this one. I like trying “exotic” (to me, anyway) fruits. I’m attempting this gong fu style since it is my day off and I have some more time this morning, but we’ll see how it goes. I don’t have a lot of practice with it. I’m doing the 4g in about half the volume of my shiboridashi, which comes out to 75ml, because the full 150ml per infusion is just too much tea for me over the course of several infusions of a session. Still waiting on that tiny 50ml gaiwan from China… shipping woes.

Gong Fu [Shiboridashi] / 4g / 75ml / 200F / 10s rinse / 30s|45s|60s|65s|70s|80s

The aroma is very floral, but citrusy… like orange blossoms and citrus oil. It comes off slightly perfumy when the tea is still very warm and steamy, but I find that settles a bit as the tea cools. The flavor is certainly something unique; I’ve had teas with a natural fruity/floralness before (sakura), but that soft cherry note is very different than this citrus note from the pomelo flowers. It tastes like a light mandarin orange flavor mixed with jasmine flowers, and below that is a fresh green watery vegetal note from the oolong, along the lines of lettuce/celery/cucumber. The pomelo flavor leaves an aftertaste on the tongue, and there is a very mild astringency left after the sip. In the second steep the pomelo flavor was much fuller and I got a grape note beneath the florals that was very pleasant, but the astringent drying on my tongue in the finish was also a bit stronger. The increased steep time by the third steep seemed to help a lot with the astringency in the finish, and the floral became very smooth and flowery, and the tea quite sweet with some new sugarcane and pear notes. I went for six steeps and at that point the flavor was starting to give out and become quite mineral-like.

A very pleasant oolong and unlike anything I’ve tried before. A bit drying (some accompanying water is a must) but the citrusy floral note produces a very unique flavor. Thanks for letting me try this, derk!

Thank you for the sample Mountain Stream!

Derk, I gotta say, I was not a huge fan. It was a good tea, but it overwhelmed me despite it being on the lighter side. The pomelo was pronounced, floral, and a little funky. Yes, I brewed it gong fu, but every time, I kept on getting a watercress note, and then the weird yeastiness that you described. The citric acidity coupled with the savoriness reminded me of a tortilla chip. Steep three, and more tortilla citrus flavor and watercress midsip and body. Steep four, heady and slightly bitter jasmine with a citrus finish. Steep five-green jin xuan ness. I can get the coriander in its herby profile, although it is still green and milky in texture. Not thick enough to be like spinach as Jin Xuans tend to be…which was kinda a relief.

Okay, back to my assertion. The yeasty citrus combo was a little too much for me. I think the florals gave me the buzz more than the caffeine, and yeah, I was a little tea drunk from this one. It might grow on me, but a little too much.

relaxed remembrance
the warm breeze moves as sunshine,
illuminating

ephemeral love
she sings from the branch — come close!
a blossom returned

we sway, a fond touch
tumbled by swirls of sweet breath
the warm scent of spring

the moment is soft
as we’re blown away, linger
we will dance again

Yes, haiku day was yesterday but I can’t force inspiration.