Roasted AA Grade Dan Cong Oolong Mi Lan Xiang Spring 2016

gaiwan lid: charcoal, lychee, toffee
1st: lychee foretaste, caramel, creamy thick vanilla on nose
astringency on edges of tongue and roof of mouth
2nd: mineralness added to lychee like warm lychees on stone, thinner taste on nose – like thin vanilla no more creaminess
3rd: gaiwan lid like wet stone and toffee now
a little floral, not so fruity, more astringent center of tongue, light sweetness when breathing out from nose – agave perhaps
4th: gaiwan lid all wet stone
aroma lightly sweet, foretaste/nose pretty much gone

Appearance: twisted reddish-brown whole leaves when dry with very few stems or non-tea parts. When brewed, the leaves appear to be about half oxidized. Aroma: astringent, spicy up front, with fruity and nutty notes. Mouthfeel: middle of the road. Taste: 1st steeping: Considerable astringency, followed by a distinctly lychee-like flavor, with some cinnamon and black pepper mild spice, as well as nutty and woody notes. There’s some of the longer-lasting mild bitterness, but not it’s more at the front of the mouth than the back of the throat like a high mountain greener oolong would have. 2nd steeping: similar, but more of a honey flavor, and the astringency and spice notes are considerably reduced. This trend continues with increased steepings. Overall, I like the first steeping very much, but the following steepings lack some complexity.

My first oolong! Very aromatic and full-flavored. I brewed with a gaiwan and 95 C water, short infusions. Roasty, toasted-rice body, almost reminiscent of a genmaicha, with notes of sweet peach and honey. Long finish. Slight astringency which was not unpleasant, may have been user error as a result of high water temperature.