I’m 15 tasting notes away from 1,500 tasting notes! Whoa. My goal is to have 10 sipdowns from my tea cupboard before I get to the 1,500 tasting note.
Another sample to try – Thank you Teavivre! This one is very similar to another oolong I’ve tried from Teavivre, though I’m not sure which one it is now… I’ve tried many of them! It’s one of the savory types of oolong. The bundles are very green and have the scent of fresh vegetables. I used two heaping teaspoons for my 12 ounce mug.
Steep #1 // 7 minutes after boiling // rinse // 1 minute steep
I really think I’ve figured out steeping green oolongs now. They seem to have perfect results this way. I can’t remember how many oolongs I was waiting around a half hour after boiling to steep in the past — that means I wasn’t tasting those oolongs at their best. I can tell this is a savory oolong even from the scent from the mug – brothy/soupy, hints of salt, buttery… not really floral or fruity at all. It’s very delicious when it’s the type of oolong I’m looking for.
Steep #2 // couple minutes after boiling // 2 min steep
This is another cup that tasted deliciously similar to the first steep, but with very potent, strong flavors. Super soupy! It seems like this oolong could be resteeped forever, but it also doesn’t get astringent. But I’m amazed at how flavorful this one is… I could have probably steeped a teaspoon and a half leaves rather than two.
Steep #3 // couple minutes after boiling // 3 min steep
Another solid cup. The steeped leaves are gigantic, a very dark green – as usual, amazing that the leaves can be bundled so small. This is a very nice example of a savory oolong (the flavor never tastes floral or fruity) and the flavor stays very consistent. I love that there are different oolong flavor types… keeps it interesting! Though I would imagine I could drink one really nice oolong all the time anyway.
http://www.teavivre.com/black-friday-sales/
Flavors: Broth, Butter, Salt
I’m going to try your method when I’m at work. At home I have a pre-programed kettle but at work I’m dealing with boiled water only.