As I’m sure many others are, I’m a sucker for milk oolong. I don’t even like milk very much, but there’s something about the sweet and creamy flavour and mouth-feel of this style of tea that makes me very happy. I have not tried any milk oolong from Yunnan Sourcing before, but I have high hopes.
I used a 140ml teapot with 6 grams of tea and 90°C water, short steep times.
The first thing I noticed is thankfully the pungent milk aroma coming off the wet leaves and soup. Buttery, sweet, and not too floral. From experience, a good milk oolong has the same pungent flavour as it does aroma. I can happily report that this does indeed have a strong milky/buttery flavour, however it was more “green” tasting than expected (umami and vegetal). This is perhaps due to its growing conditions though? It’s a high elevation Taiwan tea and reminds me of other “jade” Taiwan oolongs I’ve tried. Not my favourite oolong flavour profile overall, but it is well-balanced with the milk. What’s nice and most notable about this batch is that the milk flavour does carry along for multiple brews, eventually tapering off, leaving the tea tasting like something between a typical oolong and green tea. Many milk oolongs that I’ve tried quickly taper off into a normal flavour profile, so in that sense this tea is superior.
In conclusion, this is a lovely milk oolong overall, especially for people who prefer more subdued floral notes. Unfortunately, it’s turned out to not be my favourite simply due to the green flavour profile. I much prefer floral, fruity, or roasted oolongs.
Flavors: Butter, Milk, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal
