Milky Gold

I’ve been intending to review this tea for over a week now. I’ve tried it more than once during that time, so maybe now I can finally get my thoughts about it sorted out.

I ruined this tea the first time I brewed it. I got called away partway through making it and so it ended up steeping for four minutes. NOT a good move. Some oolongs, even good ones, can cope with that sort of steeping time. Not this one. It turned out astringent to the point of being undrinkable, so I poured it down the sink and tried again.

Now that I’ve come to know this tea slightly better, I’ve found that 2 minutes is about right for the steeping time. The packet says to use boiling water but, well, ignore that. My default temperature for oolong is 90C – roughly, the temperature you end up with after leaving the lid open on the kettle for a minute after boiling the water – and this oolong seemed to like that, too.

As for the taste? My immediate reaction, once I tried it minus the accidental added bitterness, was that this oolong was okay, but there was nothing about it that really wowed me. But somehow I kept coming back to it, and not only because I still hadn’t managed to write this review yet. g

It’s a good oolong. Not spectacular, but good. And it is actually slightly milky to the taste. This makes it very easy to drink, and to keep drinking. It’s not one of those exquisitely complex teas that makes you think about every mouthful as you’re drinking, but if you’re not in the mood for that sort of tea and just want something with a good taste to drink while you’re busy working, this one works really well.

I tired this tea and fell in love! So far there hasn’t been a milk Oolong tea that I’ve tried and has come close to tasting this great. This tea is unflavored but has a mild floral note and creamy taste that is hard not to love! I have found that this tea tastes the best on the 4th-6th steep. Very rich in taste and creamy in texture.

Tea and a cup oh gosh

Nice sweet smell and taste. It is surprisingly kinda milky.

A Taiwanese Winter oolong from Mingjian. pretty good quality.
The name is very well-suited – When brewed right, has a very light oolong flavor, and a creamy taste, almost as if you actually added milk to the tea. That might sound a bit off-putting, as Oolong isn’t really a tea that one would put milk in, but it’s a very well-balanced nuance to the taste. Great for mellow moments, and I’m sure an interesting experience to treat a guest to.