**A review Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong Tea by Fong Mong Tea
I am having another oolong tea from sampler received from over seas (Taipei, Taiwan). This tea came in a seal bag (gold in color) and I have to scissor of the top of the bag to get at the rolled up tea: I shook some out into my palm to see that they are indeed finely curled (rolled up) into tiny pellets.
I take half of the bag’s content and place in my cup and pour water that had been boiling on the stove into my cup and cover leaving the tea to steep for five minutes.
In remove the saucer from the cup I am pleasantly surprised to see how fully the leaves have unfold into my cup of tea. They are a luscious green and fuller than the previous oolongs I have tried from this vendor. They smell very steamed; a warming effect to the face. And something of the smell as I scoop out the leaves from the cup makes me think of my veggies; green broccoli or spinach more-so.
I have strained the tea-leaves from the tea cup and I am left with a tea that is light green in color; slight yellow undertone and still smelling of veggies. I take my first sip and it is a lovely in that it the fragrant of the tea is very light making the tea creamy and not astringent at all. And no, I must say this tea is not a broth either. I continue to sip this tea while quietly enjoying fragrant green to be found within the cup.
I am fortunate to try this tea with yet another steep and another; each time tea’s color is lighter more to yellow or lightish yellow. It is not brown. The leaves remain the same color throughout each steep.
There is less of the veggie taste in the cup with 2nd steep and with 3rd steep it is slightly astringent, but very mild and not at all bitter.
Overall, this tea has many folds…that veggie green intake of one’s broccoli or spinach flavoring is very pronounced with the first steep and one can indeed observe this upon examining and even to tasting the tea leaves which are creamy in texture and not at all bitter. No sprinkling of salt etc on leaves like when having some vegetables.
For tea itself; I enjoyed the first steep immensely as it is light and warm with a good heft to it and the aroma is a fragrant of green. Another reviewer had mentioned lilac scenting to this tea. So possible it is there and I cannot discern this.
This is very good tea. This Alishan Jin Xuan is best of the oolongs to date. Thank you to Fong Mong Tea Co. for sending me the samplers.
