Nepal Jun Chiyabari 'Moondrops' Oolong Tea

After a few rough days, I’m back on here again. Yesterday, my car sprang a coolant leak, so that little electrical issue that I wanted to get taken care of is going to have to wait until I can get the coolant leak fixed. I also spent most of my afternoon cleaning out my dad’s goat barn. What followed was a night of sinus trouble. Oh, and I had a job interview at 8:15 in the morning yesterday. It did not go well. I actually got stopped and yelled at by one of the interviewers. Now, I get the experience of helping my father trim hooves this evening and then get to work on my car in my driveway with my mechanic. My life is full of joy and wonder. Knowing that my evening is going to be hectic, I’m doing some writing now.

I’m dipping into the vast backlog again for this review. This was one of my sipdowns from either March or April of 2020. I still have a bunch from right around the time the pandemic hit. This was the last of the Jun Chiyabari oolongs that I tried during this time period, and though I found it to be a more or less great tea, it was my least favorite of the three.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a 10 second rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 6 fluid ounces of 176 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of cream, custard, cinnamon, vanilla, and baked bread. New aromas of orchid, grass, violet, spinach, and butter appeared along with traces of lilac after the rinse. The first infusion then introduced a dandelion aroma and very subtle orange blossom scent. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of orchid, violet, baked bread, custard, lilac, and grass that were chased by hints of spinach, dandelion greens, sweet corn, cream, butter, orange blossom, pear, and green apple. The bulk of the subsequent infusions added aromas of pear, lychee, plum, orange zest, green apple, almond, minerals, and green wood. Stronger and more immediately detectable notes of dandelion greens, cream, butter, sweet corn, pear, and green apple emerged in the mouth with mineral, cinnamon, plum, dandelion, almond, hazelnut, green wood, and orange zest impressions in tow. I also found hints of vanilla, lychee, seaweed, and vegetable broth-like umami. As the tea faded, the liquor continued to emphasize notes of minerals, cream, orange zest, butter, grass, dandelion, dandelion greens, and green wood that were chased by a swell of pear, green apple, plum, baked bread, brothy umami, violet, hazelnut, almond, orchid, spinach, and seaweed hints that lingered in the mouth and throat.

A very complex and unique Nepalese oolong, I was consistently intrigued by the tea liquor’s wonderful aromatics, texture, and lingering energy. It often suggested specific flavors more than it actually displayed them. I could see people who are into very aromatic oolongs loving this tea, but I could also see people who drink tea primarily for the feel and the lingering afterglow getting a big kick out of it. Personally, I’d be happy to try a future production of this tea, though I tend to be someone who goes a little more for aroma and flavor than for feel.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge Sunday, October 17th: National Mulligan Day Tea #1

additional notes:  This was a fitting tea to try again today.  I KNOW it deserves a better rating from me… my original note called it confusing.  The dry leaf has an intoxicating creamy sweetness to it, but the flavor is entirely different.  It’s fruity, maybe maraschino cherry!  With a drying mouthfeel.  Second steep, I could swear is blueberry and artificial vanilla.  Sweet and various fruits. Later steeps are still drying with a creamed corn flavor. But mostly it seems to me like the lightest of Darjeelings. Maybe since this is a mix of cultivars, that makes it a confusing tea for me. The name of this is lovely though. I will keep editing this note and adding what I find, as I will be steeping this tomorrow – I just wanted to get this posted for Mulligan day. 
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a big mug // 34 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 35 minutes after boiling // 1 min
Steep #3 // 23 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #4 // 20 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #5 // just boiled // 3 min
2021 sipdowns:  134

Holy crap I love this tea. It fits me like a good pair of pants.

Summer 2018 harvest, gongfu.

The fragrance and the way it carries into the mouth and lingers is on point. A caramel sweetness is suspended loftily by intense creamy white floral perfume maybe with orange blossom, the kind of heady scent that relaxes you. The deeper notes of the tea are distinctly sandalwood, nuts, musk and banana leaf. Great body with mineral brightness and salivation. Later, a succulent white peach aftertaste develops as the strength of the florals subsides. The finished cup smells so strong and sweet. Initial violet floral bitterness and vegetal-woody astringency grow ever stronger with each steep, eventually numbing the tongue. While I find those qualities to add depth to the experience, if there is one thing to turn others away, it’s the combination of growing bitterness and astringency. That and the low brewing temperature, which is a necessity. And the price. And the lack of availability. Shucks.

I wonder why it’s called Moondrops.

Very nice.

The dried leaves smelled of fresh hay. The liquor was light orangish amber with a very light floral aroma. It’s lightly oxidized, tastes like a very creamy Alishan as Daylon said and at times it reminded me of a smooth and creamy TGY without the tartness.

It is a busy day, lots of work and mid-way I fried it (cry) and put boiling water instead and well, it made it bitter >.<. Up until that point, it was lovely. Light florals notes, vegetal, smooth and creamy. Next time, I’ll be more careful.^^

Yixing teapot,
194℉, 130ml, 8g, 10 steeps: rinse, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 1m, 1m30s, 2m

I have my personal computer back! Yay!

So short note. I love this tea. It resembles a creamy Alishan with some nuances of the Jun Chiyabari terroir, which surprised me. It’s predominantly creamy, but green enough to resemble green tea ice cream. I got hints of violet in the florals, and some macademia in its character. It’s my personal favorite of the limited edition teas.