Originally given as an imperial tribute, and what a tribute to my tastebuds. The leaves are long and full, a dark brown with a bit of lustre. A stone-influenced scent of honey emanates from the leaves. The tea produces a dark amber liquer, and a strong waft of earthy sweetness arises from the cup. The taste delivers this earthiness, with a nice honey-ish undertone carrying the tea through to a crisp, metallic-sweet finish, reminiscent of a pear.
A note on my time: thirty seconds is much too short for standard teapot-strainer infusion on an Oolong tea. This tea was prepared in a yixing clay teapot, in the gonfu style. I will do another review in my gaiwan, but I doubt it will be as flavourful then.
Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C
0 min, 30 sec
