i haven’t been drinking a lot of oolongs lately, so i can’t really frame my notes on this one very well. however, i can offer some vague notes from today’s workday session.
did 5g leaf in 100ml glazed gaiwan. flash rinse, then starting w/ 3sec steeps and adding a few sec each time.
first steep smelled [while pouring gaiwan → cup] like… IPA! distinctly. the leaf, gaiwan lid, and liquor all did not have this smell, but the aftertaste is definitely hoppy-malty. i’m intrigued! i hate IPAs and hoppy beers but it somehow isn’t bothering me here. it’s like all the things i might like about hoppy beers without whatever it is that makes me not like them?
the IPA-y aftertaste continues; i think the floral-“citrusy” combination is what does it for me, with some mild roasty-grain flavour finishing out the trifecta of beery notes.
my main takeaway is that this tea is quite pleasant, and i may order more. i may need to try more oolongs, too; there is more complexity in this tea than i expected, and i like it. and i love the notes here that i can only imagine fit under the “florals” umbrella.
Flavors: Floral, Hops, Roasted Barley
Hops describing oolong is not something I’ve really seen, but holy crap is it accurate to the darker oolongs.
well, i am not the world’s best taster, so i’m just callin’ as i see here. ;)