93

Quickie note:
I’m going to have to double check the bag, but I think it’s a 2021 one. Lilacs, Dill, Honeydew were the notes online, but Lavender, Melon, and Buttery were the notes on the bag. I was going to save it to plow through older tea first, but I came back from the Lavender Festival at Blake’s Apple Orchard, and needed something to pair with the lavender fudge and lavender lemon pepper chicken wings I got.

This was a pretty good match since the profile was pretty consistent with the food pairings. I gong fu’d it, and this is one of the more floral lishans I’ve had. I didn’t get too much of the citrus or pineapple notes I usually associate with the varietal, but I got plenty of honeydew melon with the distinctly gaoshan oolong green and buttery body notes. This one is on the fresher side of green, but not overpoweringly vegetal. It actually compared significantly with eating raw lavender leaves, and the lavender notes really hit in steep 2-5, but fade afterwards. The flavor remains strong even at the 10 steep, which was an overly long grandpa brew towards the end, but good.

The thing that stood out to me was the melon/lavender combo and the wetting mouthfeel. It’s not as thick as other Lishans, but the flavor rises in the mouth and continues into the aftertaste-which is another reason why I compared it in my head to eating raw lavender leaves because there is a resemblance to the nice burn and cooling effect from the oils in the teas hot temperature. Could be why dill was in one of the notes. Trident’s other high mountain oolongs tend to be on the heavy sweet/floral soft body side, and this one was the softest of the bunch I’ve had.

As per usual, I’m not rating it yet despite really liking it. It’s not the most forward Lishan I’ve had and ranks on the softer end. This oolong kind of resembles Tillerman’s Lishan and even Mountain Stream’s higher end lishans in it’s florals, and packs in the higher end of my tea stash so far.

Flavors: Apple, Butter, Dill, Green, Honey, Honeydew, Lavender, Melon, Sugar, Sugarcane, Sweet

Mastress Alita

I loooooooove lavender, I want to go to a lavender festival now!

Leafhopper

Those lavender lemon pepper chicken wings sound interesting! Also, it’s funny how a lot of different teas from the same harvest seem to have similar flavours. I remember that for me, 2019 was the year high mountain oolongs all tasted like corn; maybe this will be the year of the honeydew melon. :)

Daylon R Thomas

I hope so. 2013/14 all were amped up with coconut and florals for me.

Daylon R Thomas

They used lavender to describe a log of the teas anyway. Their 2018/19 blended Shanlinxi distinctly tasted like lavender olive oil which is really unusual from what I’ve had in Shanlinxi, but I’ve tasted from Dayuling. I know most of it is the power of persuasion.

Leafhopper

I’ve had a couple Shan Lin Xi teas that I could describe as tasting like lavender, though fortunately, not like lavender olive oil. I wasn’t drinking high mountain oolongs in 2013/2014, but it sounds like a good stretch.

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Mastress Alita

I loooooooove lavender, I want to go to a lavender festival now!

Leafhopper

Those lavender lemon pepper chicken wings sound interesting! Also, it’s funny how a lot of different teas from the same harvest seem to have similar flavours. I remember that for me, 2019 was the year high mountain oolongs all tasted like corn; maybe this will be the year of the honeydew melon. :)

Daylon R Thomas

I hope so. 2013/14 all were amped up with coconut and florals for me.

Daylon R Thomas

They used lavender to describe a log of the teas anyway. Their 2018/19 blended Shanlinxi distinctly tasted like lavender olive oil which is really unusual from what I’ve had in Shanlinxi, but I’ve tasted from Dayuling. I know most of it is the power of persuasion.

Leafhopper

I’ve had a couple Shan Lin Xi teas that I could describe as tasting like lavender, though fortunately, not like lavender olive oil. I wasn’t drinking high mountain oolongs in 2013/2014, but it sounds like a good stretch.

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First Off, Current Targets:

Whispering Pines Alice
Good Luxurious Work Teas
Wang Family’s Jasmine Shanlinxi
Spring, Winter Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs

Dislikes: Heavy Tannin, Astringency, Bitterness, or Fake Flavor, Overly herby herbal or aged teas

Picky with: Higher Oxidation Oolongs, Red Oolongs (Some I love, others give me headaches or are almost too sweet), Mint Teas

Currently, my stash is overflowing. Among my favorites are What-Cha’s Lishan Black, Amber Gaba Oolong, Lishan Oolong, Qilan Oolong, White Rhino, Kenya Silver Needle, Tong Mu Lapsang Black (Unsmoked); Whispering Pines Alice, Taiwanese Assam, Wang’s Shanlinxi, Cuifeng, Dayuling, Jasmine Shan Lin Xi; Beautiful Taiwan Tea Co.“Old Style” Dong Ding, Mandala Milk Oolong; Paru’s Milk Oolong

Me:

I am an MSU graduate, and current alternative ed. high school social studies and history teacher. I formerly minored in anthropology, and I love Egyptian and classical history. I love to read, write, draw, paint, sculpt, fence(with a sword), practice calisthenics on rings, lift weights, workout, relax, and drink a cuppa tea…or twenty.

I’ve been drinking green and black teas ever since I was little living in Hawaii. Eastern Asian influence was prominent with my friends and where I grew up, so I’ve been exposed to some tea culture at a young age. I’ve come a long way since I began on steepster and now drink most teas gong fu, especially oolong. Any tea that is naturally creamy, fruity, or sweet without a lot of added flavoring ranks as a must have for me. I also love black teas and dark oolongs with the elusive “cocoa” note. My favorites are lighter Earl Greys, some white teas like What-Cha’s Kenyan offerings, most Hong-Cha’s, darker Darjeelings, almost anything from Nepal, Green Shan Lin Xi’s, and Greener Dong Dings. I’m in the process of trying Alishan’s. I also tend to really enjoy Yunnan Black or Red teas and white teas. I’m pickier with other teas like chamomile, green teas, and Masalas among several.

I used to give ratings, but now I only rate teas that have a strong impression on me. If I really like it, I’ll write it down.

I’ll enjoy a tea almost no matter what, even if the purpose is more medicinal, for it is my truest vice and addiction.

Location

Michigan, USA

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