Dong Pian (Winter Petal), Zhushan 2015

Had a sample of this today, made the mistake of forgetting it on the second steep while I went to the bathroom, so a bit bummed by that as even with this the subsequent steeps were very nice. Using off boiling water (didn’t read the site instructions til now), 100 ml gaiwan, and a layer-ish of pearls to coat the bottom, this definitely has a juicy fruitiness to it and a bit of a citrus tang that is reminiscent of lime leaf overlaid over a smooth honey character I find a lot in oolongs this green.

It has a pleasant, light grassiness to it (that can turn bitter and astringent if oversteeped, as I discovered…) and is on the bit less floral side, which, combined with the overall mellow character, I quite liked, even though there is a definite note of a softer jasmine or something similar to it and I normally detest jasmine in tea. There is also a creaminess that hints to a bit of rice to the taste and aroma, so I thought the site description pretty accurate, or at least not as much of a stretch as I usually find those things.

A little bummed I don’t have anymore, given how I botched the earlier steepings, but it was generous despite that as I still got five more cups out of it. I might order some more once I finish up my other oolong samples if it still stands out in my memory as I was a fan of the strong but mellow character, the more subtle floral notes, and the general flavor profile.