I was thrilled to be able to try this one. Thanks so much Octavia Tea! I LOVE Bao Zhong and if it’s called “Orchid Bao Zhong”, I’m especially intrigued — my favorite oolongs taste like flowers. The leaves are bigger, as Bao Zhong leaves usually are, but not the biggest I’ve seen from a Bao Zhong. The brew color is a light green. The flavor is lovely, but not something I’d call particularly ‘orchid’. It’s a milky flavor and creamy texture, which is surprising to me for a Bao Zhong. The aftertaste turns into subtle hints of lingering fruits like pineapple with the milk turning into coconut, which is more what I expect from this type of oolong. All four steeps seemed completely different in flavor – the last two being more buttery. I think the leaves could have kept going for many steeps. I also think I should try this with a flat teaspoon instead of a heaping teaspoon, to see if it’s even smoother. A very delicious oolong, but I wouldn’t say the flavor profile distinctly tells me it’s a Bao Zhong oolong if it were a blind taste test, though to be honest, I’ve only tried a handful of Bao Zhong teas.
Steep #1 // 1 heaping teaspoon for a full mug // 18 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 13 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #3 // 13 minutes after boiling // 2 min steep
Steep #4 // just boiled // 3 min steep