2014 Autumn "Medium Roast" Fancy Grade Ben Shan Oolong of Anxi

I was in the mood for tart cherries so I pulled out an old favorite oolong with that flavor. This was a particularly good harvest and I’ve dipped into the bag often.

I like to push this particular oolong a little and have it play out in 6 or 7 steeps since that intensifies the tart cherry note. For this session I did 10/10/15/25/45/90 second steeps.

The color of the liquor is a crystal clear deep amber that seems to glow when the light hits it. I find myself just mesmerized by it for a minute before drinking.

The aromas telegraph some of the flavors waiting in the cup: tart cherries, sweet stonefruits, vanilla and cinnamon. It has an oily mouthfeel when hot that turns buttery as the cup cools. The first steep has the most variety of flavors, with Meyer lemon, vanilla, tart stonefruits and spiciness. Subsequent steeps are all about the tart cherries, sweet stonefruits and cinnamon. Toasted nuts emerge about halfway through the session. I sometimes catch a whiff of florals in the aroma near the last steep, but that’s not really what this oolong is about. The aftertaste is long and tart.

I’m nearing the end of the bag and I’ll miss this one when it’s gone.

Pix: http://instagram.com/p/9N-fUjFi2g