Sipdown? Well, I received this Taiwanese Oolong as a 6g gift sample with my January order, and I used it all in one session. Brewed western style, almost as directed: 6.4g leaf in 8 oz boiling water in a stainless steel infusion basket for 2 min. Dry leaf had a wonderful fragrance, which intensified while steeping. But this was way too much leaf, as it expanded out to fill my basket and poke out over the top! The aromatic, golden-colored liquor was sweet, smooth, non-astringent, and like a mouthful of flowers! Song claims flavor of Magnolia x alba, and so I’ll go with that, though I can’t say I truly know what White Fragrant Himalayan Champaca is, let alone what it tastes or smells like. It sure is lovely, and reminiscent of a dong ding I drank recently. This oolong is said to be the Qing xin cultivar (also known as “green heart”) which is well known among the high mountain oolongs, as are hybrids from it. The finish is extended, lasting several minutes on the tongue and in the nose, only finally tailing off in a mineral taste with a hint of skunkiness. Each sip was enjoyable as the cup cooled over the course of ~30 min. I never detected anything remotely of the claimed pistachio or cantaloupe (both of which are very familiar to me). A second infusion was also nice, but not as delightful as the first. Perhaps if I’d used a slightly cooler water and shorter steep the leaf might have given more, but I really liked it my way anyhow. I’ll never know because it is now sold out and next year may differ. Rating this as a 95. The third infusion continued to satisfy, as notes of cardboard and stronger minerality crept in alongside the floral sweetness. Long finishes continued here, and the cardboard notes gave way to a slight cantaloupe flavor way in the back of my mouth! Score another point for Song’s tasting skills. A fourth infusion was unpalatable and discarded. I hope other Steepsters got to try it!
Flavors: Cantaloupe, Floral, Magnolia, Mineral, Smooth, Sweet
Still counts! XD