Bug Bitten Honey Aroma Certified Organic Oolong Tea Winter 2016

Alright, I feel kind of silly noting this two days in a row, but I decided to sip down the rest of this one to start the morning off since I don’t have any greens with me. Steeped in a porcelain gaiwan this time to cut out any potential factors that may have impacted the taste yesterday when I was using a recently completed clay pot. Also used cooler water since I feel like the leaves may have been a bit scalded yesterday.

Result is a smooth and viscous liquor that is light and color and flavor in the first steep, but quite fragrant with sweet, creamy floral notes coming through.

Up the temperature just a couple of degrees bit but kept the steep time short for steep two and get a more golden color. I start getting some of that characteristic “bug bitten aroma” but the flavor starts to take more of a turn toward the notes that I was getting yesterday, which makes me think I really would be best off keeping the temperature low here, especially considering the leaves appear to be on the greener side.

All in all, I’m not sure whether it’s because it’s more on the green side or because it’s a winter tea or what, but while this is a good tea it’s just not appealing to my palate at this point in time.

Honey flavor and scent present throughout the steepings. I did about 10-12 steepings. In the early steepings it started as a simple sweetness – think corn syrup laced artificial honey. Middle steepings became more a natural, clover honey. Still sweet but more genuine. Later steepings had the sweet high notes mellow out and play second chair to the malty, floral notes reminiscent of a wildflower honey. Some of my favorite qualities of an oolong at a decent price. Looking forward to more infusions.

This is a really nice oolong. It is slightly floral with notes of honey, without the intense sweetness of honey that is. I brewed this eight times but I think it would have gone a few more. It was a very light colored brew.

I steeped this tea eight times in a 150ml gaiwan with 9.2g leaf and 190 degree water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steteped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, and 30 sec.