The label mentions dark chocolate as a flavor note, and I’m definitely picking up on that, though I think it might be a little closer to carob. There is also a touch of smoke flavor, and though I’m not really a fan of smoke, this is light enough to be pleasant. I think this is probably the darkest oolong I’ve ever had, both flavor-wise and the color of the leaf. At a glance, the steeped leaves look like shiny raisins. On closer inspection, they look like very knotted thick string, because even after a 3 minute steep, the leaves have barely uncrinkled. Smells a bit loamy and mushroomy, but this isn’t really translating to the flavor.
190 °F / 87 °C
3 min, 0 sec
1 tsp
8 OZ / 236 ML