This is a never before opened sample. I’m doing the usual first taste in the gaiwan with short steeps after rinsing starting at 15 secs. The temp today is 190F instead of 195F because someone unplugged the Zo, but it should do fine. The packet recommends 175F but I think that’s too low.
I’m very partial to the floral, buttery green oolongs like this one. Though the dry leaves don’t have much fragrance (just a little green smell), the steeped tea is particularly aromatic. Very floral with a buttery undercurrent. It’s a light yellowish green color.
The flavor is very much like the aroma, and it makes me sad that I only have a sample of this and that ATR is no more. Because this something I’d want to keep in my cupboard.
My second steep was accidentally 25 seconds instead of 20. Slip of the finger on the timer. I’m loving the lightness of this, by which I don’t mean lack of flavor. I don’t know what narcissus smells like — I probably would have said something like lilac — but if that’s what this tastes like I am a narcissus fan. The butter is really coming out with the longer steeps.
By the third steep, the leaves have at least doubled in volume. The wet leaves are interesting for their green-ness, which isn’t a sort of olive, blanched look, but more the color of parsley — leaning toward emerald. The tea starts to get a crisper mouth feel, a fresh, hard water feel that juxtaposes interestingly with the buttery flavor. When I taste butter, I expect to feel butter, but not here.
I’ll bring this note to a close after the fourth steep as I must get my turkey in the oven. The flavor is starting to get a bit weaker, but I think it could have at least one more good steep, maybe two. Still, it has a pleasing floral nose with the buttery undercurrent at steep four. The cup smells vaguely sugary when the tea is gone.
Lovely.
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Narcissus
