Plum Crazy

This is the only oolong I picked up with my Luhse order, but I’ve had so few plum teas that the sheer novelty of it appealed to me more than anything. The dry mix is quite chunky – equal parts oolong (black, think, reasonably wiry leaves, so I’m fairly confident that it’s a roasted wuyi or something along those lines) and schizandre berries (which look to me like rosehip). The scent is beautiful; fruity, ripe plum. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to around 180 degrees. The resulting liquor is a pale golden colour.

To taste, it’s absolutely wonderful. Light, refreshing, and beautifully fruity. It’s just like biting into a ripe plum — so much so that I could probably mistake it for plum juice if it weren’t hot. It’s incredibly sweet and juicy, although also very natural tasting. The oolong base is hardly present in the taste, except perhaps for a slight mineral flavour in the aftertaste. This is a good thing in my book, as strong dark oolongs aren’t typically my thing. At least, they haven’t been historically. I do try and return to tea varieties I’ve more or less ruled out from time to time, though, as I’m aware my tastes are changing as I become more familiar with tea.

Although this is something I’d never have said at one point, I can safely say that this is an oolong I’d gladly repurchase. It’s so flavourful and fruity, it more than deserves a place in my cupboard. It’s truly delicious stuff! If you’re a fan of plum teas, be sure to give this one a try!