Steep Information: Prepared as part of the Steepster meetup and tea tasting
Tasting Notes:
Medium Roast from Taiwan
Huge full leaves
Oolongs should always be full leaves with twigs and chunks as they are harvested in chunks (grab the steam and leaves and bud)
Milky smell
Nutty, not floral, sweet
Light body
Slightly vegetal
The tea is smooth, then rough
Fake milkyness could come from soaking in milk or adding milk powder but this is natural flavor – part of the leaf
There are machines that roll the tea inside canvas bags into the tight balls in Taiwan, people need to swap out the bags but they can do more at a time. Some are still done by hand, specifically China, and can take many tying, ballings, twists and turns and much time. This is where cost comes in.
Sorry my notes are so short and cryptic but it was a whirlwind tasting of so much information and flavor!
Rating: I am intentionally not rating these teas as I didn’t really have a chance to sit there and sip on them and think whether I would by them again, like to play with them more, although none were awful (1 leaf) or fabulous (4 leaves)
Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/05/radiance-tea-house-and-books-loose-leaf_06.html
