Gongfu Sipdown (2517)!
So I actually first saw Haku Tea on instagram and I was really intrigued by their oolong selection but, if I’m being honest, I was having a hard time judging whether I was really interested in the tea or just the incredibly sleek branding. I had no idea they were a Canadian company, and I got SUPER excited when I saw them at the Toronto Tea Festival because I got to scope out the tea selection in person.
I ended up getting their discovery box which had session size samples of pretty much all their teas (except one). I’m definitely going to be having a fun time exploring this in the next short while.
I decided to start with Misty Mountain which seems to not only be their lightest oxidized oolong but also their best seller. I definitely drink more roasted/heavily oxidized oolongs than lighter ones, but I was pretty impressed by this one. The leaves were beautiful with a fresh floral aroma even when dry that just got so much more potent and aromatic the moment the water hit the leaf.
The longevity was great. I got about eight pretty solid infusions, though steeps three through five were for sure the sweet spot. It was very floral with notes of sweet pea, magnolias, and clean linens – kind of an overall “Bath & Bodyworks/Body Shop” vibe but in the best way possible. Not fake and headache inducing but just really natural interpretations of those more iconic/overused scents from their lotions and candles. Maybe a bit of green melon, though not a ton. Some steeps had this very pleasant “peaches and cream corn” note. If you’re not sure what I’m referencing, I don’t mean literal peaches but rather a specific varietal of corn that is naturally quite sweet.
Definitely set a high bar for the rest of the samples to meet!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C2s0PrrOpqr/?img_index=1 (First Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvK0YIKQCE4
I’ve had oolongs that had that peaches and cream corn note, too. I might check this vendor out.