Bonnie Send Message

Thank you Fong Mong Tea for this Generous Sample!

This fine Oolong is baked and required a 6 minute steeping time for the type of pot I was preparing. Even dry, the leaves were fragrantly floral and held the promise of delight inside.

When ready, the liquor was very clear and light gold with a tinge of green. The scent was lilac but not strong. Somewhere there was a vegital scent peaking out.

The taste was silky with a floral presence more like a warm breeze than a bouquet of flowers. Towards the end of the floral taste I caught the scent of apple and cinnamon. There was a vegital flavor so tiny that it reminded me of having had buttered green beans for dinner then drinking tea for dessert.

I stopped to consider this tea. I waited for the tea to comment.

I was now aware again with the juicy tea suddenly becoming active. Then the tingling began. My whole mouth and my lips began to tingle and burn lightly with a tannin that had no bitterness. It was as if a rope was pulling me back to the tea and I had to drink more. I wanted the creamy sweet goodness again.

I noticed later that using a glass cup, as the tea cooled when I took a sip the tea coated the glass in a way that wine does. I’ve never noticed a tea doing that before.

Another thing I noticed with this tea is the nose effect.

Jim Marks commented on how much we taste with our nose. That might sound funny to some people, but it’s true. I think that’s what has helped me charge ahead with learning about tea’s the most. Working in 2 Wineries, I had to learn to taste with my nose and talk about levels of flavor in wine. When you do it 8 hrs a day you learn! Tea is the same.
Example:
I put my nose into this cup of Oolong and inhaled/exhaled… in and out making lots of steam. I found the scent of a trunk in an attic with pressed flowers and a little bitty hint of moth ball.
It’s a good thing to really get in and experience as much as you can with tea. Drink, smell…consider.