Four Seasons Spring oolong

Gongfu!

I rarely ever brew up this varietal of oolong, but this session honestly has me questioning why that is. The whole session was more light to medium bodied and very aromatic. It starts off soft and buttery with a silky and slightly sweet note of fresh coconut milk, with a gentle green and grassy undertone. In some of the later steeps I started noticing notes of mildly toasted sesame – and I’m definitely a sucker for that kind of rich and nutty flavour. But what I enjoyed the most was the backend of the sip, which had a beautifully tropical fruit note that made me think of fresh mango; juicy but still with the tiniest touch of green, pine-like flavour to it’s undertones. When the creamy coconut and summery mango combination meet in the mid sip of each infusion they just sing, and the aftertaste is a gentle lingering sweetness that makes you immediately want the next steep.

Is this the most amazing tasting Four Seasons I’ve ever tasted!? No, definitely not. However, that’s certainly not to say it’s bad. Far from it. Instead it’s that perfect sweet spot of being approachable and easy to brew, with solid tasting notes and a really great mouthfeel – the kind of tea that’s so easy going and tasty that could easily become a daily drinker without you ever really making a conscious decision to treat it as such. It’s a sneaky, sneaky oolong in that regard…

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Ruh3qOGuT/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY-KRH6I1vc

EDIT Oh wow, based on the rating I gave this I apparently was very nonplussed the last time I reviewed this. Gonna have to go back and read that review now!

‘Samurai’ Traveling Teabox – Tea #10
A very tightly rolled, jade green oolong.   The flavor is great but it’s tough to pick apart the flavors.  The second steep might be the best after the first steep is just beginning to blossom.   The third steep isn’t exactly oversteeped, but it doesn’t have that delicateness of flavor that was lovely in the second steep.  The fourth steep: the flavor becomes more distinct and it tastes of orchids and vanilla.  Perfect.  I just wish it didn’t take so long for the flavor to get to that point. The leaves had certainly been unraveled by the third steep.   Probably Western steeping isn’t the best for this one.  I still feel I shouldn’t have steeped it for two minutes earlier on and I’m very glad I only used one teaspoon.
Steep #1  // 1 teaspoon for full mug // 22 minutes after boiling  // rinse // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2  // 16 minutes after boiling //  1 1/2 min
Steep #3 // 12 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 2 min