Certified Organic "Winter Rhythm" Oolong Tea - Winter 2015

Vibrant, medium bodied oolong that can wake you up in the morning.. I would recommend using longer infusions, I find that it can sustain them without getting bitter. On the other hand, that way one gets fuller, more complex taste with some astringency as well.

It is a fairly aromatic and balanced tea, with some chocolate notes in the aftertaste. All in all the price/quality ratio is exceptional, definitely worth trying out at least.

I’m going to sound like a jerk in this review. Here it goes.

I’ve tried 14 different jade oolongs in the past month and I have only been satisfied with a few of them. I’ve been hoping for a good daily drinker, but I’ve actually preferred some flavored ones over the pure ones. I actually feel silly in spending so much money on daily drinkers instead of slightly more expensive ones that I might be more satisfied with. I personally don’t think that more expensive teas taste better by default; I’ve had a slightly more generic jasmine oolong that I enjoyed much more than a Long Feng Xia and a Li Shan that I enjoyed more than its prestigious Da Yu Ling cousin. I’ve also enjoyed a vanilla black chai more than a Wild Dianhong of a better leaf grade quality. Lord am I persnickety.

So from all of the frickin’ oolongs I’ve guzzled, this one probably had the best mouth feel, texture, and durability of the teas. Much of what I said in the earlier note is true: it has a pronounced spinach creaminess that borders on vanilla and a very pronounced clover floral taste overall. It is on the low to medium sweeter end of oolongs and definitely makes a good daily drinker that rivals some Ali Shan’s in terms of textural complexity, but it lacked the fruitiness or the honey notes that I hope for in the steeps I’ve had so far.

This is a great tea for a great price, but it is something I should have sampled instead of bulked. I think that the tea deserves a 85-90 for it’s strength, balance, texture, and quality, but a 75 for flavor. Because of my lack of general satisfaction with the sheer quantities I have, I am going to sell most of my tea soon so I can minimize my collection and buy different teas. I still recommend Taiwan Sourcing as a great company. I’ve just not been happy with the seasons for my favorite tea types and particular against the general ones.