Oriental Beauty Premium Grade Oolong Tea, Lot 527

Lot 527 continues in the tradition we’ve set since introducing this grade in 2013. If you liked any of our past offerings, you will be reassuringly in familiar terrain. This Lot 527 is a fresh selection from the summer of 2016 and comes from the same producer as all the previous ones we’ve proposed; and it will not disappoint! This year’s Lot is a very satisfying tea which delivers on all counts, including value. This lot features the characteristic presence of white furry tips accompanied by the 2 following leaves which are carefully picked in the summer time. Oriental Beauty is a summer tea as the grower hopes his crop will receive the visit of small green leaf hoppers that will nibble the leaves and leave their characteristic contribution to the taste of this tea: a wonderfully sweet honey finish that is quite distinctive and pleasant. A more pronounced oxidation confers a wonderful fruitiness to the liqueur followed by a long controlled drying sequence that lightly bakes the leaves and helps to blend in and seal all the expressive characteristics of this tea. When pouring freshly boiled water that you’ve let cool down slightly, the leaves will reveal the compelling and exuberant aroma of citrus fruits and muscat grapes that is characteristic of a good Beauty tea. The cupping will not disappoint either, as the velvety texture warms the palate, a smooth base of freshly baked crusted bread will act as a foundation on which tangy citrus notes with hints of papaya will charm. A cool finish of spices and a spike of fragrant pepper make this tea a refreshing accompaniment to cakes and sweets.