Ali Shan High Mountain Oolong

Ugh, this tea was blander than bland. Hot steeped, it tasted like hot water. When cold brewed, it tasted like cold water. Completely and utterly devoid of any flavor…like an empty canvas where flavor should be.

I’ve had a lot of bad teas in my lifetime but at least they had some discernible taste, be it sour, bitter, ashy, musty, whatever. But this is the first tea ever that had zero flavor or aroma of any kind, good or bad. The very epitome of bland tea.

Backlog:

Ali Shan! My beloved! My favorite Oolong!

And I loved this Ali Shan from Green Terrace Teas. Exceptional quality. Sublime flavor.

Early infusions were sweet and lusciously smooth. Liquid silk mixed with thinned honey. Mmm! I picked up on notes of orchid and honeysuckle.

Later infusions were just as sweet and creamy. Still very silky. The floral notes are less sharp. I tend to prefer the later infusions because of that, the floral notes are less intense and I am able to enjoy those sweet and creamy notes all the more.

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/05/ali-shan-high-mountain-oolong-tea-from-green-terrace-teas/

I love a good oolong. This is a good oolong.

I’m not supposed to be at home today. I’m supposed to be freezing my tushy off at tailgate right now. Instead, last night while getting dinner ready, something tweaked in my back and I’ve been in pain since. Last night, I had to lay down to have any relief. Today, I’m sitting with a heating pad and it’s helping quite a bit, but I’m still hurting. Blah. I do all kinds of stuff that could hurt my back, lifting heavy weights and whatnot. I hurt my back chopping peppers for dinner.

So I’m curled up on the couch with my heating pad, getting some relief. It took a while until I was ready to get up and get some tea. I’m now drinking a nice mug of this one. Western style, because I don’t want to have to move any more than I have to right now.

Smooth, floral, maybe a little bit buttery. Tasty.

The dry leaf is rolled in small green balls and smells faintly floral and buttery.

First steep, 30 seconds, 90C. The steeped leaf is quite floral smelling. Still quite tightly rolled. The liquor is pale gold and has a sweet, buttery note. Taste is sweet, like hay and corn, with just a hint of floral at first, which builds through the finish. Very light in flavour and body.

Seconds. 25s, 88C. The steeped leaf is starting to unfurl, and has a more savoury fragrance. Seaweed and cooked greens. The liquor smells floral but there’s also a slightly… musty? note, that reminds me of Chinese grocery stores that sell lots of dried goods and medicinals. On the palate the sweet corn and hay persists, still floral on the finish, but with a subtle sour note.

Third, 30s, 90C. The steeped leaf has that umami, cooked greens smell, and a roasted note. The liquor still has that faint musty smell. Sweet, floral, hay, corn. The finish has a vegetal tang. As it cools the floral notes intensify.

Fourth, 35s, 90C. Oh wow. Oh wow! This steep is a touch nutty and much more floral than the rest and here on the finish are some really intense, mouth-filling honey and nectarine notes. Like just finished eating a fresh nectarine kind of distinct and intense. Nice! Just a hint of astringency on this steep, too, and a bit of a drying sensation.

Fifth, 40s, 90C. By this steep I was starting to get over caffeinated and I ate a muffin which made it a bit harder to pick out the nuances, but there was still honey and nectarine.

I’m probably going to save the leaves and steep them more tomorrow, because there’s life in them yet, and I’m curious to see how the flavour develops from here.

I really enjoyed this tea. I would definitely pick up some more.

I’m finally able to dig into my Green Terrace teas, which arrived while I was away (I have awesome neighbors to keep my tea safe for me). I’m very happy I started with this one. Ok, fine, I started with this one as one of three brewed at once because I have become an oolong fiend. I haven’t started selling my possessions to buy oolong yet, but I’m headed that way ;-).
This is my kind of oolong! The tightly rolled green leaves are beautiful and yield a delicate yellow brew. The sip is mainly a wonderful creamy mouthfeel with a somewhat more subtle cream taste until almost the end when it is swept away by a fresh clean finish infused with balmy, graceful florals; which in turn sweeps me right off my oolong-loving feet. The florals are fresh above all else, calling to mind a cool breeze sweeping over a meadow of wildflowers through which a sparkling stream meanders. I’m twitterpated over this oolong!

Thank you, Green Terrace Teas, for a sample!

This is a very light floral green oolong that is slightly sweet. This tea is a nice evening tea, but not one that I see myself drinking often. This was a little on the light side for me.

Lewis and Clarke TTB

Decided to try this, even though I’m not usually into floral notes in a tea.

I did a 10 second rinse, and then 5,10,15,20,35,50 3g ~4oz water.

The first two steeping are sort of weak. A touch of floral and a touch of butter.

Third and forth steepings are also on the weak side. I’m also noticing a slight astringency.

Fifth through seventh steeping are a little stroger but still really light. A but more buttery floral. But also more astringency. Borderline unpleasant.

I’m really surprised by the lack of flavor I’m getting here. Strange.

Started off today with yesterday’s abundant leaf. Approx 3 g and it filled the water in my crystal teapot. You could not see through the pot. When I poured I noticed the tea is neon yellow. Looks cool. Tastes nicely sweet and mellow floral. If I were to become a regular oolong sipper it would be one like this. I don’t really care for the dark roasted oolongs, except occasionally. The green ones that are overly geranium/latex also only appeal rarely. This one is just lovely with sweet creamy notes and mild floral. Me like.

Thank you, Green Terrace Teas, for a sample!

Gongfu method. Two 5 second rinses. Steeping intervals 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60.

The dry leaf is wonderful: beautifully rolled, lovely shade of green and brown. Its aroma has a summer air feel in that it’s both floral (lavender, peony, day lilies ) and grassy. The wet leaf aroma is intensely more vegetal, and also creamy and buttery. I could also smell squash.

At the first infusion the leaves have barely unrolled. The liquor has a very pale yellow color. It’s overall feel is medium-bodied and clear, and has sweet corn and floral notes. Second infusion aroma of the wet leaf smells of plum and rhubarb. The liquor itself is full-bodied and flavorful, even more buttery and creamy, and only a little floral. By the third infusion, the leaves have really begun to unfurl. The color of the liquor has turned to neon yellow (against a white porcelain cup). Again, creamy and floral. No more buttery note. I could taste spring, as if I were sitting on my front steps one sunny afternoon and breathing in the early blooming flowers.

The 4th, 5th, and 6th infusions – in which the leaves are totally open – are similar – clear in texture, floral, with a fruity aftertaste. The seventh infusion is still floral, but smooth. I narrowed down the aftertaste to peach. Lastly is eighth infusion, in which the leaves now begin yield a weaker floral note.

This tea sighed “Aaaaah spring!” throughout the session. It’s my first Ali Shan oolong and am delighted at that!