Thanks to Fong Mong Tea for providing this sample. I steeped about 7 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 190F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
In the pot, these small green pellets have a lovely spring flower aroma. The first steep is fairly light, with notes of flowers, butter, grass, and a bit of vanilla. In the second steep, the florals, maybe orange blossom and gardenia, become stronger, and I also taste vanilla, light citrus, stonefruit, and coriander. There’s also a slight tongue-coating astringency. In the next few steeps, the liquor gets more vegetal and many of the other flavours fade into the background, but a nice creamy floral aftertaste persists.
In the first part of the session, I thought this was one of the best Four Seasons oolongs I’d tried. But because this tea seems to pack its flavour into the first few steeps, it might do better Western or cold brewed, where the number of infusions matters less. Either way, this tea is fairly inexpensive and its initial complexity might compensate for the lack of longevity.
Flavors: Astringent, Butter, Citrus, Coriander, Creamy, Floral, Gardenias, Grass, Orange Blossom, Stonefruit, Vanilla, Vegetal
