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Just like Tea_Ass, I haven’t had much exposure to aged oolong, a category that is notoriously tricky to get in the West. That is why I was happily surprised to see TheTea carrying quite a few. As one would expect with a scarce product, the price/drinking value ratio is higher than usual among these. The educational value, however, is quite high for me.

The qi is very warming, and can be felt throughout chest and arms. I didn’t find it to be particularly sedating, rather it is generally just a pleasant tea to drink.

The dry leaf aroma is hard to describe other than just an “aged aroma”. There are, however, some hints of old wood, peat, and cherries. Also the smell of wet leaves is unique and cozy. It reminds me of candle, berry jam, matured cheese, glacier, petrichor aromas.

The taste feels a bit muted at times, even when brewed stronger. Its character interpolates sweet fruity notes with woody/nutty ones. Once again, I detect fruit jam in the liquor, but also tree sap, Chanterelle mushrooms and walnuts. Some steeps are a little sour, but not too much. In the finish there are some umami notes, such as butter and chicken meat. The aftertaste is actually quite pungent, but without any overwhelming flavours.

I found the mouthfeel to be a little dry, warm and bubbly. It is better when the tea cools down a bit in my opinion. There is some astringency, which doesn’t detract much from the smoothness of the liquor. I also get a lasting metallic sensation in the mouth.