Taiwanese Roasted Wuyi Oolong

Sipdown! (27 | 479)

Another small sample from my Mountain Stream sampler order a couple of years ago. Probably not a tea I would have chosen for myself, as yancha isn’t usually a favorite of mine. I don’t dislike it, but I tend to prefer bai hao or “red” varieties when I want a more oxidized oolong.

That being said, this is a very tasty tea. It does have that characteristic “autumn leaf” sort of flavor that I associated with oxidized and especially roasted oolong, along with a gentle woody character and plenty of minerality. The gentle roast is noticeable but it doesn’t overpower the other flavors, instead it adds a warm coziness. There’s a subtle sweetness and hints of honey and dried stonefruits. A floral note appears in the aftertaste, but it’s quite light and airy without any perfumey quality.

Not something I would order, as I still prefer my sweeter oxidized oolongs, but I enjoyed sipping down the little 10g packet. :)

100ml shibo, 200F, 5g (~10 or so steeps with varied timing) Sipdown
A lot of roast in the aroma of this tea. It’s a thick, slightly sweet tea with some minerality. Lightly roasted – which is in the aroma, but not in the liquor until it cools down toward room temperature. Slightly longer steeps (~20sec) bring out fruity and juicy notes. The aftertaste of this tea is long and sweet.
I wasn’t too excited to try this tea – most roasted oolongs are not for me. Pretty sure I received as a sample with my order. This one is an exception. I enjoyed this tea.