Another Tea from Taiwan sample being brewed up in the Gaiwan. It does not seem to have been a real favorite with the Steepsterites but it’s hard to imagine how badly you could mess up a Taiwanese oolong so that I would rate it low… ha ha
Infusion #1 : ooh, this IS very green. I definitely am getting a strong smell of spinach from the wet leaves here. It is more vegetal than buttery at this point. The tea also smells very floral and almost vanilla.
Infusion #2 : curious. Still very green but this is consistent with my experience of ali shans in the past. Reminds me of a bit of the shade grown Japanese green tea I have here. A bit grassy, I wonder if I have oversteeped it here.
Infusion #3: Steeped with less hot water, around 160 F. Butteriness is emerging a bit and this tea has a fantastic smell.
Infusion #4: Still very fragrant but a bit short of flavor. I am losing interest in this a bit so will end my dissertation here. :-P
Prognosis: It’s a good tea but not good enough for me to want to buy it. Definitely seems more ali shan than milk. I’m not a big ali shan fan but if you are you would probably like this.