Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: East Pacific Tea Co.
Product Description:
This certified tea from the Darjeeling region of India produces a cup of refined exotic flavours like no other. The mountain grown leaves have a distinct rich taste that you will love.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! When I first opened the pouch and smelled the slightly spicy tones of this tea, I didn’t realize it was an Oolong. I read the package and saw that it was a Darjeeling tea, so I steeped it according to the parameters I generally set for a Darjeeling black tea (that is: 195° F, for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch). Fortunately, these parameters seemed to work well with this Oolong.
Even as I sat here, contemplating my initial thoughts about this tea (the color and aroma: clear, medium-toned amber and sweet, spicy notes with a raisin-y front note), I hadn’t thought of this as an Oolong, but as a rather intriguing and unusual Darjeeling black. However, after the first few sips, I knew that this wasn’t a black Darjeeling, it is more similar to an Oolong. A quick visit to the East Pacific Tea Company’s webpage for this tea confirmed my suspicions.
Having only tried a few Darjeeling Oolong teas, I am very pleased to be able to have the opportunity to try this one. And of the ones that I have tried, I must say that this one is probably the most memorable. It has a sweet, somewhat fruit-like flavor (raisins?) to it. The texture is smooth and silky. There is some astringency to this, but not nearly as much as I would usually associate with a Darjeeling black. The astringency here is nice as it seems to cleanse the palate of the soft mouthfeel. The soft, smooth texture doesn’t build up on the tongue. It feels fresh and new each time I take a sip.
What is very special about this Darjeeling Oolong are those aforementioned sweet, spicy notes. This set of spice tones combined with the fruit flavors (I’m starting to notice an apricot-y kind of taste now, along with the raisin) makes for a very rewarding cuppa.
Now that I’ve tried this tea, and realized it to be an Oolong, the next time I shall enjoy it even more fully by brewing in my Gaiwan! I look forward to my next experience with this tea – and I highly recommend that my readers try this one. A truly memorable tea, one with which you will enjoy making memories!
