Jin Shuan Winter Harvest

Sipdown (263)

J is for… Jin Shuan

Thank you Roswell Strange for the share! I am having this while eating Wendy’s and watching Drag Race. It’s an odd combo since I don’t usually have tea with my meals and if I do, it’s usually cold and picked to go with the meal. This just sort of worked out to be the accompaniment to my meal.

It’s smooth and a touch metallic. Some roastiness. It’s also quite buttery. It doesn’t stand out among other oolongs but it’s a solid option. Also works with the meal better than I expected it to.

Gongfu! (Also last tasting note in the queue – I made good time today)

Finally had a chance to use my beautiful panda pot from BLT; it’s the one that I seasoned a while back with this same tea. The plan, right now, is to only use it for Jin Shuan but we shall see if I decide to expand that dedication over time…

Paired this one with a pint of delicious Quebec Strawberries; no word of a lie they were the best strawberries I’ve ever had. I’m not sure why, but produce in general just seems to be so much better here!? Instagram Notes from the session: Beautiful oolong, with fresh linen and soft, delicate green notes. It’s also so buttery and floral, with a thick and creamy mouthfeel, that I’m kind of getting a strawberries & cream vibe!! Perfection!!

This bad boy lasted around eight good infusions; not the longest I’ve gotten from an oolong but not bad either!

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzGnGl2gQRu/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9cZyhDJOU&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ&index=56&t=0s

(Obsessed with this band right now…)

this oolong from crowkettle is sort of middle of the road oolong. it’s not really roasted or super green…it’s just kinda…an oolong lol. Appreciate the share crowkettle as i for sure wouldn’t be picking these out myself but i DO like to try them :)

Cup Scent: butter, toasted nuts, flowers, savoury seaweed sprinkles (subtle)

To taste, it follows the precedent set by the scent, making for a savoury cup full of cream, butter, nuts, and gentle flowers. It’s probably the most mild “Jin Xuan,” natural or scented, I’ve had in recent times. It’s nothing special in my books, but it’s buttery-cream profile makes for a comforting cup, with excellent steep value.

I drank up all my other Jin Xuans, so it’s nice to discover I have some left. I didn’t realize what this was or pay too much attention when I initially placed an order online. It took seeing the unfurled leaves to realize what this was. Whoops.

Steep Count: 6

Florals reminiscent of dandelion came out strong on the third steep. It reminds me that dandelion wine is on my “too try” list.

(2016 harvest)

This is my go-to Wulong. It tastes wonderful when it’s fresh from the gaiwan, but I don’t have a kettle by my desk so my habit is to brew it western-style in a pot, and take frequent small tastes as it stews. My first taste is before even a minute has passed, and it is quite mild. The liquor is a light, almost fluorescent, green/yellow. The smell is a little grassy. The taste is quite mild: a little toasted rice, a little dandelion, and something sweet like honey. The mouthfeel even so early is quite distinct. You can really feel the oils in the tea coat your mouth and leave a dry kind of feeling well after the flavour is gone. The next taste is around the 4 or 5 minute mark. The colour is much more yellow now, with just a hint of brown. Not much smell, although my nose is pretty stuffy so I may be missing out. The sweetness is still there in the taste, but there’s also something umami. Very slightly like mushrooms. My habit is to keep tasting it even as it stews for much longer, but I don’t want to prolong this note much longer. Needless to say, it gets much more bitter as it sits longer in the water, but I used to be quite a fan of hoppy beers in a previous life so I enjoy a good bitter bomb.