Backlog from a couple days ago. This is an older sample, but it’s basically completely sealed in metal (well, plastic metal) so I thought it would be fine. I’m surprised Golden Moon is now rid of most of their usually stocked teas because they went completely organic. (They still have a couple of my favorites like Sinharaja but I don’t want to think about it too long to remember my favorites that I’ll miss.) This is one of the teas missing. I’m guessing by the odd flavor, probably due to the age, that this one wasn’t entirely organic.
Steep #1 // 2 tsps. // 10 min after boiling // 2 min
There is definitely an odd old flavor that a typical oolong wouldn’t normally have. Honestly, it tastes a bit like paint. It’s really only at the top of the first cup and definitely disappears after that. I think it’s what should be the sugar caramel flavor. Which is a shame because underlying that flavor is what I think is a gorgeous oolong. Mostly floral with undertones of peach. My favorite.
Steep #2 // few min after boiling // 2 min
Another delicious cup (thankfully missing that off flavor). This time along with the floral and hints of peach there is pineapple. There you have my three favorite flavor notes in an oolong.
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min
Another delicious cup and the flavor could keep going. I’ll rate this tea even though it is on the older side, since the base tea is so nice. I think oolongs can last a really long while. They don’t seem to age too badly. A decent oolong like this one doesn’t need flavoring… I was a little skeptical of “sugar caramel” anyway.
Awww, that’s too bad that they don’t make all their old ones and just label the new ones as organic. Zhi tea discontinued one of my favorites because they couldn’t source those particular ingredients organic anymore. I’d still buy it even if it wasn’t organic.