Alishan, Spring

I went ahead and added a generic entry for this oolong, as I just received mine in 2022 (2021 or 2022 harvest?), and all the entries are for various harvests of the “same” tea. I am looking forward to reading back over all the iterations from different years after I post this.

Nose on the first steep was baby powder, which I now know consists of jasmine, violet, and white musk! I can understand the gardenia tasting note that Red Blossom provides. Taste is vegetal but not of cooked greens like spinach or asparagus — rather, I got a fresher note like green pepper, along with some root vegetables. Creamy.

Delicate corn husk color on the second pour; notes of pine, and that jasmine coming back strong again. I am tempted to note butter, but I think it is more precisely olive oil.

Lots of delicate flowers, like a tiny spring bouquet, in the following steeps. I oversteeped one on accident and did not get much astringency at all. I am still steeping this as my thermos runs out, which means about 10-11 solid steeps.

This isn’t the flavor profile that typically gets me super excited, but I really can’t argue with how lovely this Alishan is. I’ve been a bit critical of Red Blossom’s wares since I started tasting my way through them, but this one may help me take a step back and reconsider. I don’t necessarily need to be whacked over the head with every tea in order to appreciate it.