Another weekend morning, another T2 sample. Life is good.
Aroma: Marmalade and spice with a comforting sweetness. Subtle woody notes. There is a slight hint of bergamot in there too which reminds me of an earl grey. All in all more akin to a western black tea than a roasted Oolong but still with that characteristic dark Oolong candied orange peel that makes it entirely something else.
Flavour: The flavour profile reminds me a lot of ‘chinese herbal jelly’ – herbaceous, complex, slightly sweet with a faint iodine touch. Strangely alluring despite not being the sort of flavour which normally draws me in on a black tea. There is a faint burnt sugar/caramel layer in there. The underlying spice and subtle woody notes remind you what you’re drinking. The second steeping is all woody sweetness. Comforting. Pleasant. But hardly exiting.
Overall: This is an entirely pleasant semi-fermented oolong, but to be honest, it doesn’t captivate me the way some others have. It has enough backbone to stand up well to food though, and would be a perfect partner to dim-sum. All in all: not bad, but for the price there’s other teas i’d pick above it.
Price: AUD$38/100g
