After the wild journey of trying to get this tea across the water during the pandemic, it’s finally here. Am I waiting two weeks to let it rest? …The puerh, sure, but I couldn’t keep my hands off of the oolong.
Holy balls is this aromatic and perfumy. I flash-steeped this, 90ml gaiwan about 3/4s full, just-boiled water, second or two, dump. Drank the wash. You can taste what feels like the usual astringency with some harsher, longer-steeped dan congs, but is transformed into a pervasive perfume. Smooth, not sharp, not bitter—jasmine, violet is what I’m getting. Not quite fruit. Maybe in the finish, when I hold it in my mouth, but afterwards just the aroma remains, and it sticks on the tongue and roof and the back of my throat as if I’d walked through a perfume aisle, but y’know. More pleasant.
Third flash steep was almost thick, not quite roasty—this is a pretty smooth dan cong. One of these days I will properly sit down and compare some of my favourite dan congs side by side. I can have trouble describing them in isolation.
By about the fifth steep the aroma’s trailed off; upped to 15 seconds brought some bitterness, dropping back to 5-10.
Flavors: Floral, Jasmine, Perfume, Violet
