Okay, I’ve held off reviewing this tea, even though I’ve had the sample for a while. I just felt that the first time I tried it it tasted like simple green water. Maybe I just don’t get it? I love me some high green oolongs, and I expected this one to be fabulous, so I thought maybe it was just the condition of my mouth that day that biased me.
Well, I’ve since obtained a variable temp kettle and learned to increase my leaf/water ratio, so I’m doing a little better this time around, but not by much.
The smell of the dry leaves is a slightly green sweet of a typical green oolong, with maybe a hint of floral something. When brewed, I finally get the lilac smell, it is definitely lilac, but far away. Maybe I had been looking for the in-your-face pungency of a real lilac bush before?
The taste is just fine. That’s my slightly disappointed reaction. It’s pleasant enough, but my favorite possible oolong character is the lingering sweetness on your tongue. This linger a little, I guess, like I just ate a raw green bean, but is not overwhelmingly sweet. It just tastes sort of like a really thin veggie liquid. I can see how other oolongs I have loved in the past could boil down to this, after many many steepings. I guess I’m just not that impressed, despite badly wanting to be.
There is a slight floral character on the sip when it cools, but not the kind of candied rose petal floral that I so love in floral scented oolongs. I would use the florist’s shop analogy again, but in a more mediocre way than with the Magnolia Oolong. It may also be that this tea must have been picked nearly a year ago at this point. Maybe I will do Verdant’s 5 for 5 again after the new stock has come in.
I will admit that it is getting sweeter (like french green beans now) when it is quite cool. Maybe I will cold brew this and be happier?
Flavors: Floral, Green Beans
