I finished this one off last night with a friend, and I never quite got the same notes no matter how consistent or different my brewing styles were. Gong fu cha in my shiboridashi yielded an influx of buttery corn bread notes accented by osmanthus and lilac, and then passed into a floral crescando of honeysuckle, osmanthus, lilac, and then ended with some faint honey hints and lime hints in the end. Western had more honeysuckle notes, with fresh greens, collards, and lime zest barely in the accents. There were times were it was more sweet like butterscotch, and times more vegetal. I’ve gotten more fresh notes like sugarcane and watercress with a very small amount of leaves western. Butter, lilac, honeysuckle, osmanthus, and lime zest reoccurred the most in flavor.
This was almost my favorite of the sampler because it was fairly versatile. I did occasionally have some astringency here and then reminiscent of a sheng because of how I brewed it, but it was definitely oolong and on the greener side. I’d recommend this for those looking to get a cheaper alternative for a snow pick. I’ve coveted others for a heavier price, and this one was different enough to stand out from previous Li Shan’s I’ve had. Rating for me personally as a result of the occasional astringency is between 88 and 92