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“Following guidlines on the package, Steeps 25s, 20s, 17s, 20s, 35s First steeping has a vegetal scent and flavour. As the leaves open up floral notes arrive. By the fouth steep this is very...” Read full tasting note
“Prep: usually 100cc gaiwan, enough leaf to cover the bottom, 190F or boiling water. I give it a long rinse steep plus 5 minutes of sitting with the lid on to allow the leaves to open. Then usually...” Read full tasting note
“You know what is adorable, Ben snuggling Espeon. She is in one of those super cuddly moods, but alas I am melting from the stupid heat, so Ben to the rescue! Usually I never mind a lap cat, but it...” Read full tasting note
The dry leaves of this new spring Alishan has a beautiful sweet floral bouquet, mixed with a hint of bright citrus note. Its rinsed leaves smell deep and floral. This Alishan’s tea broth is light and smooth. It’s a very delightful tea. The aftertaste really opens up after the third infusion and I think the fragrance is like lilac. After the tea opens up, I will update more tasting notes.
Tasting note update 6/30/2016: The dry leaves of this spring Alishan is floral. Today a hint of spiciness shows up. I love its rinsed leaves’ smell, so beautiful that I smell it for a long time. This Alishan is very interesting. It opens up at the second infusion. It’s beautiful and “quiet”. “Quiet” in a way that is not as busy as the rest of my high mountain oolong selection. “Quiet” in a way that I want to have a book and sip the tea. “Beauty” is also a word that keeps coming up while I taste this Alishan. It gives me a calm peaceful feeling.
Its tea broth is smooth and light. Its sweet floral aftertaste develops very well.
*This Alishan High Mountain Oolong is harvested in May 2016 at ZhangShuHu area of Alishan mountain. It’s made from QinXin varietal.
*If you purchase 4 ounces of this Alishan, it will come in a 5 ounces vacuum pack.
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Floating LeavesFollowing guidlines on the package, Steeps 25s, 20s, 17s, 20s, 35s
First steeping has a vegetal scent and flavour.
As the leaves open up floral notes arrive.
By the fouth steep this is very refreshing.
Flavors: Floral, Vegetal
Prep: usually 100cc gaiwan, enough leaf to cover the bottom, 190F or boiling water. I give it a long rinse steep plus 5 minutes of sitting with the lid on to allow the leaves to open. Then usually something like 10s, 30s, 30s, 40s, 40s, 60s, 60s, then add time as necessary to chase flavor. I have tried flashing/shorter steeps, and I have tried much much longer steeps as well, but I like this method ok.
Sessions with this tea: 6
Taste: Starts out mildly floral sweet, a vegetal note comes into later steeps. Has a very “open” feel to it. Longer steeps brought out more sweetness, shorter/hotter brought out more veg.
Body: Very thick mouthfeel, slurpy good. Mild, calming energy. Good for early morning I think.
Very enjoyable. I continue to love floating leaves offerings.
You know what is adorable, Ben snuggling Espeon. She is in one of those super cuddly moods, but alas I am melting from the stupid heat, so Ben to the rescue! Usually I never mind a lap cat, but it is one of those days where it is hot and humid so my skin is all crawly. It is all good though since I get to see cuteness.
Day two of the Floating Leaves Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Sampler specifically looking at the 2016 Spring Alishan High Mountain Oolong! Alishan is one of my favorite mountains for tea, especially the green Oolong style, I always get excited when I get a chance to enjoy it. Made from the QinXin varietal, which means sweet goodness, seriously I have never had a QinXin that was not wonderfully sweet. The aroma is buttery and sweet, with notes of chestnuts, sweet snap peas, sugar cane, and crisp celery. It balances sweetness and that refreshing bit of green for a light yet nuanced blend of notes.
I brewed this tea a couple of different ways, specifically gongfu and cold-steep, and let me start by saying gongfu was AMAZING, it is a star example of an Alishan with a thick texture, sweet taste, and mellow feeling, if you get this sampler (or just this tea) I suggest trying it out this way at least once. Since it is swelteringly hot though I want to showcase how this tea really impressed me, cold-steeped! The day I cold-steeped this tea I knew the night (after my session of gongfu) that I had errands to run the next day and would want tea, so I tossed the leaves in for a morning treat.
Oh my goodness this tea, in the aroma it has crisp notes of sweet snap peas and sugar cane, buttery thickness, and nutty chestnut. These notes are present, but they are joined with ethereal notes of freesia and lilac. I pretty much downed my entire first steep instantaneously, I didn’t even get out of the house with it! It was so wonderfully light while being nuanced, I love that.
So here I am with a pile of leaves and the need for tea, so I go grandpa style and add warm water, let it steep for a few, and then top it off with some ice to inevitably melt in the heat while also keeping the leaves around. This time around it really showcases the green aspect of the tea, notes of lettuce and celery, herbaceous oregano and a bit of parsley. It is so crisp and refreshing while still being sweet and floral. I am going to go on the record and say this is my favorite cold-steeped Oolong to date, the perfect combo of sweet and crisp while never being overwhelming.
For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/08/floating-leaves-2016-spring-alishan.html
