Summer Vacation! This tea comes from a small independant tea seller in Boise, Idaho, that was selling tea at the Farmer’s Market in 2017 (she refrained and stuck to online sales only in 2018 due to her father’s health). When I stopped by her booth I picked up both the Taiwanese oolongs she sourced, which at the time were Zhushan Natural Oolong, which she told me was being discontinued by the tea farm it was being sourced from and she only had a few bags left, and Forever Spring Oolong, the replacement for the Zhushan Natural Oolong. I ended up not liking the Zhushan Natural Oolong very much, because it was just way too perfumy in aroma for me. It reminded me too much of a heavily-scented jasmine tea, only with an orchid aroma/flavor instead. My migraine-head doesn’t do well with perfume-like teas. As I remember, I liked this replacement oolong much better, because it didn’t have that strong, heady perfume aroma, but was still floral and sweet. Time to revisit and see if my abysmal memory holds up!
3.7g brewed in 370ml 200F water in a gravity well infuser. I still need to try this one gong fu style, but just don’t have the time tonight; I need to limit my caffeine intake because I have an early morning tomorrow, and I have to cut off my tea/food at a certain hour tonight because the reason for the early morning tomorrow is health evals at work (which means a blood draw). The brewed tea has a light yellow color and an aroma has notes of flowers, honey, and minerals. It definitely doesn’t have that strong “cheap perfume” smell the other oolong had. The flavor is quite nice; surprisingly sweet, a bit like honey and cream, with a sweet orchid note, and a finish that comes off with a slight mineral tang.
Will need to try this gong fu when I have the time, but it’s quite tasty even as a western brew. I like the sweet honeyed/floral profile with the slightly sharper earthy finish.
Flavors: Cream, Floral, Honey, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Orchid, Sweet
