Li Shan Oolong Tea

This is my third and final free sample from Yezi Tea, and it is also my first ever straight oolong. The dry leaves had a surprisingly strong peach smell, which made me very excited to try this tea. Since the packet did not include brewing directions, I looked around on various websites and found a lot of conflicting instructions. XD

I ended up brewing it for 4 minutes, which I think may have been just a little too long. Next time I would go for about 3 or so. The brew has a very strong floral smell with just a touch of fruitiness. The tea itself also tastes very floral (a little bit too floral for me, but I attribute this to the overbrewing) and there is also a very noticeable peach flavor, which I love. The tea itself tastes like a strong green tea to me, but it was a little bit bitter since I let it brew too long. I added a very small amount of sugar to help bring out that yummy peach flavor.

Overall, I really enjoyed this tea, and I feel I will love it when I steep it again for a shorter duration (I will most likely try 3 minutes). I will most likely give it a rating after trying it a few more times. I really appreciate the opportunity to try some awesome teas for free. Thanks, Yezi Tea! :D

steeping times: 5s rinse, 30s, 45s, 40s, 50s

Meh. I tried everything I could to pull some flavor out of this tea, but it was far too light for my tastes. I even tried using less water AND increasing the steeping time simultaneously. Still nothing. Kinda vegetal with a hint of floral aftertaste, but other than that not much taste to this cup of tea.

This morning I am trying out this sample from Yezi tea in my gaiwan. I haven’t gong-fu’d anything in ages but not being able to use my right hand at all made that pretty cumbersome. Thankfully I have some more mobility now.

Steep #1 – After steeping this for 30 seconds I got some light floral aromas and flavors that remind me of lily of the valley. My tea liquor seems very light, I think the oolong needs another steep or two to fully open up.

Steep #2 – I used a little less water in the gaiwan and steeped for 45 seconds. I am still getting a lot of intense floral but now an underlying sweetness and light buttery quality is peeking through the tea as well.

Steep #3 – Perhaps it is me but I don’t think this has changed much from Steep #2. This is still a very flowery tea. It is lovely but the floral is so intense that I am not sure I would drink this on a regular basis. I feel like I’ve had better Li Shans though it has been a while. I have enjoyed trying this but I prefer slightly more buttery and vegetal green oolongs overall.

I drank this during a rather heavy no good terrible mood moment, so I’m afraid I really don’t recall much. I should have known better! Sighs.
I do remember that it was pretty tasty with that buttery yet grassy oolong note that I adore. I’m just sad that I didn’t notice the more in depth particulars. Oh well. I suppose that makes for an excuse to order this again one day.
And my mood…. well, I’ve been plotting where I’ll order from next when I get a chance. That probably won’t be for a good while, and despite that, my list is extensive!
In no particular order after the first six: Butiki, Verdant, RiverTea, Ninas, Teavivre, A&DDFT, Camellia Sinensis, Della Terra, Kiosque, Tea Haus, Bluebird, Tealet a few others that’ve slipped my mind and of course Yezi!! See, I’m more chipper already :P

I love it when the combination of temperature and steeping creates the perfect cup of tea. Most of the time I screw it all up, especially if I’m in a hurry in the morning. This morning was a nice exception. I tipped the sample and most of the 5 grams fell out so what the heck I emptied the packet. I caught the kettle just before it started boiling and poured through a pretty wide ceramic infuser into about a 16 oz to go cup. After about 3 minutes or just a tad longer it looked great—a nice golden color with a lovely fragrance. Walking to the car I knew I had a great cup. I couldn’t stop smelling it. Wow. It was even better drinking. Creamy mouthfeel, buttery, nice depth of flavor and a finish that went on forever. Hands down the best oolong i’ve had in a while. This tea made my morning. I just hope I can reproduce it because I will be ordering some more!

Light oolong with a grassy floral aroma. This tea has a pleasing buttery floral flavor with a slight bit of grassiness to it. I get a nice blend of sweetness and savoriness with a smooth finish.