Having tried a few oolongs from What-Cha before and having a pleasant experience so far, I was happy to try more!
Description: “A most splendid oolong; smooth and sweet tasting with a lightly roasted pear finish coupled with vanilla hints.”
Instructions: 95°C/203°F | 1 teaspoon per cup | 3-4 minutes*
* Note: these are the instructions from the packaging
Review: Since I travelled to Taiwan before, whenever I see a Taiwanese oolong, I tend to gravitate toward it. This tea was from Nantou County which is located in the centre of the island. It was harvested in April 2021 and is a Four Seasons cultivate. I had expected gongfu style brewing instructions since it was Taiwanese tea, however, the packing and the website only provided western brewing parameters.
The oolong was tightly rolled and had a dark charcoal colour with a warm roasted, nutty, and vegetal smell. A roasted note lingered in the air once the hot water hit the dry leaves. The tea brewed into a clear reddish copper colour after 3 to 4 minutes.
With a shorter brew time, the liquor had a sweeter taste alongside the roasted and vegetal flavour with a bit of dryness at the back of the throat. At 4 minutes, the roasted note was much more evident as the flavour was more toasted and earthy with the vegetal taste peaking out at the end of the sip. 3.5 minutes was a good compromise, as the liquor still had some of the sweetness in addition to the toasted note which translated into nuts and chestnuts. The wet leaves, regardless of the brewing time, only partially unfurled and stayed wrinkled. The dark-coloured leaves had a sweet, nutty, and earthy smell.
Like the other oolongs from What-Cha, this was lovely as well! I would recommend 3.5 minutes of brew time as it brought out the sweetness and the toasted/roasted notes. This would be a nice oolong for people who like medium-roasted teas and it wasn’t overly roasted or vegetal (3.5/5 rating).
