When I originally I learned about this tea, Zhen told me that Phil called it “croissant in a cup.” With a description like that, I had to try it!
Description: “This sweet and creamy Qi Lan delivers a wonderful after sweet with a refreshing mouthfeel.”
Instructions: 5g/125ml | 100°C for 30 sec, add 10s for successive infusion | 5-7 infusions
Review: The tea was harvested in early May 2019, in Dadong Mountain, Pinghe County, Fujian Province. The dry leaves were a dark brown colour with a reddish undertone. It had an earthy warm roasted smell, alongside some floral notes.
In the pre-heated gaiwan, the dry leaves had a sweet earthy, baked good/cocoa, with a hint of charcoal and floral.
Infusion 1 (30 seconds): The wet leaves have a charcoal smell and the liquor was a golden yellow colour with the same charcoal smell. It tasted sweet, fruity and of baked goods with a charcoal aftertaste that lingered.
Infusion 2 (40 seconds): The wet leaves in the gaiwan had a strong roasted nutty smell. The liquor was a darker reddish amber colour and slightly roasted smell. It was on the delicate side with predominant charcoal taste and the nuttiness enveloped the mouth. When cooled, the liquor was more roasted with some fruity notes.
Infusion 3 (50 seconds): The liquor was still mostly roasted but with some astringency in the mouth.
Infusion 4 (1 minute): It was a similar Infusion 3 but with a stronger charcoal smell and taste. The liquor was a reddish brown colour and the charcoal taste lingered in the back of the throat However, it had some sweet fruity notes when cooled but also some stronger astringency. By this point, the leaves had filled up the gaiwan.
Infusion 5 (1 minute, 10 seconds): The liquor was a dark golden amber colour and roasted smell. The flavour was mostly earthy and charcoal and was starting to wane.
Infusion 6 (1 minute, 20 seconds): The leaves had mostly unfurled by this point and had a faint roasted smell. The liquor was more of a golden yellow colour again and was faint in flavour.
Overall, I have to say I enjoyed this oolong! I found it was mostly charcoal/roasted heavy, so, if that is a taste profile you like, this is a nice one. The charcoal was never overwhelmingly strong, which I personally can find a bit unpleasant. I found every time I brewed it, it tasted slightly different (3.5/5 rating).
- Type: Oolong Tea
- Origin: Unknown
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Oolong from Dadong Mountain, Pinghe County, Fujian Province, China
- Company: Zhen Tea
The question of the post: What type of oolongs do you like?
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