Thanks to Derk for this generous sample. I think I’ve had one Yushan oolong before, but it wasn’t memorable. I have higher expectations for this one! I steeped the entire 6 g in 120 ml of 195F water for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.
The dry aroma is very floral—lily, lilac, honeysuckle, orchid—with some herbaceous undertones. The first steep has all these floral notes, along with spinach, cream, grass, and vanilla. Butter, herbs, and ethereal florals are more prominent in steep two, which has a nice, thick body. The next two steeps bring soft, creamy florals, coriander, and something that could be melon. Unlike Derk, I’m really not getting much fruit here. The next few steeps are more grassy and herbaceous, though I do get hints of melon and green apple. The florals, spinach and grass continue through the final steeps.
This tea is very soft, and many of the more interesting flavours fade quickly. I would have liked more fruit and vanilla, though the tea remained quite sweet throughout the session. This could be due to its age, or to the fact that the sample has been in a plastic baggie for a while. If all Yushan teas have a similar profile, I’d be happy to try more of them, though I’ll always prefer fruitier oolongs.
Flavors: Butter, Coriander, Cream, Floral, Grass, Green Apple, Herbaceous, Honeysuckle, Lilac, Lily, Melon, Orchid, Spinach, Sweet, Vanilla, Vegetal
