Meishan Jin Xuan High Mountain Winter Oolong tea, Lot 256

Mastress Alita’s Monthly Sipdown Challenge: a Taiwanese tea

This is a fine Jin Xuan- slightly creamy and floral. Somewhat underwhelming and a bit bland.

I got this tea as part of an Oolong collection sold by Taiwan Tea Crafts but they don’t seem to have this tea any more or I at least can’t find it on their website. It would have been nice to know a little more information on this tea but never mind, it just means I’m blind taste testing.

The balls are a nice size measuring an average of 6mm and consist or dark green almost brown and medium brown colours. They have a sweet and creamy scent, also lightly toasty. Like honeycomb ice cream. :)

Water : 3oz / 85ml 212℉ / 100℃
7 Grams Tea
6 steeps : rinse,25s,35s,45s,55s,65s,75s
Gaiwan
Rinsing time is around 5 seconds

First Steep – 25 seconds
Subtle in flavour with strong cream tones and mild sweetness. Liners in the after taste.

Second Steep – 35 seconds
Toasted and almost wooden, the sweetness is present but now matches the cream. Also a little like straw.

Third Steep – 45 seconds
Again it’s increased in strength and it’s not focussing more on toasted straw than cream. It has a pure flavour, natural and beautiful. I’m also getting a fruit flavour, perhaps kumquat.

Fourth Steep – 55 seconds
Lightening in strength again which makes this another creamy steep. It’s soft and sweet but also now sort of perfumed and dry.

Fifth Steep – 65 seconds
Very similar to the second steep at this point. The cream is shining through again with minimal toastedness and just the right amount of sweetness.

Sixth Steep – 75 seconds
Yes and back to the first steep. Creamy and sweet and very gentle.

Overall this was a delightful milk Oolong that gained charm in the middle steeps. Milk Oolong is not a favourite of mine which could result from me being allergic to milk, but this particular Oolong was subtle and pure which I found pleasant. So while this doesn’t get top marks in terms of being an Oolong it does go towards the top marks for Milk Oolong.

Granted, there’s not much I can say since I don’t have the tea anymore to compare, but I like buttery, floral oolongs and I loved this one. I hope that helps. Maybe I’ll pick it up again for the sake of documentation :)