Sample sipdown! I had half of a foil sample pack of this inside a mini Adagio fandom tin. (Speaking of which, I checked the Adagio site and they have an adorable holiday sampler available now… NO, I do not need it!)
I’ll admit, I don’t generally gravitate to high mountain oolong teas, as they often tend to be too floral for me. Regardless, here we are.
This one has some elements of Li Shan oolongs that I’ve had before, but is also quite different. There is a strong stonefruit presence, but instead of the usual sweeter peach, it’s quite tart, and reminds me of an underripe plum or apricot. Perhaps with even a hint of lemon? The slight sourness lasts throughout the sip and is particularly present in the aftertaste. There is floral here as well, and it’s the type that is not my favorite, though I don’t know enough about flowers to pin it down. I would describe it as more heady and perfumey than sweet. I get grassiness, and a “leafy” sort of almost-but-not-quite vegetal flavor. Maybe something nearing arugula? There’s also a sparkling clear minerally spring water note, and a lovely hint of warm cinnamon near the end.
And, of course, let’s not forget that thick, silky, creamy texture that is the hallmark of green oolong.
Very pleasant, and a bit surprising, but still not something I could see myself drinking regularly as it’s just not my favorite genre. Still happy to try it nonetheless!
Flavors: Apricot, Cinnamon, Creamy, Floral, Grass, Lemon, Mineral, Perfume, Plum, Smooth, Stonefruit, Sweet, Tart, Thick
