Tried this for the first time today. The dry leaves are tightly rolled with a few stems intermixed. The aroma of the dry leaves are earthy with a bit of honey in the background. Wet leaves you get malty and Smokey aroma. The liquor is golden to dark amber and aroma has some lingering floral notes. Flavor of the liquor starts off light with honeysuckle notes but as it cools the maltyness and earthy takes foreground on the toung. Nice oolong but not my favorite.
Formosa Alishan Oolong
Origin: Alishan, Chiayi, Taiwan 阿里山.嘉義.台灣
Style: Light fermented, light roasted, medium bodied, floral aroma
Loose leaf style: Half ball Dongding oolong style
Loose leaf color: Brownish dark green
Wet leaf style: Dark green center with brown red edge
Tea color: Honey GreenAlishan Oolong is probably the most famous tea from Taiwan. Alishan is one of the important tea regions in Taiwan, and produces top quality Oolongs. Its natural quality of sweetness and complex flavor make it one of the best teas in Taiwan. Light fermentation and roasting can bring out the natural fruity aroma of tea without ruin the depth and thickness of the tea.
Brewing:
For most of the half ball style Oolong tea, the best water temperature is “just boiled and cools a little”. You can start with 1 tsp for 120cc(4oz) 95°C(203F) water, steam about 1 min for the first brew to unroll the leaves. 30-40 seconds for the second infusion, and double the timing for the following infusions. Provides at least 5 infusions, up to 9 infusions.
The tea leaves need to be fully expanded in the container, remember not to put too much loose tea to avoid over packed. One tip to keep in mind is the amount of dry loose tea should be around 1/4 or smaller of the teaware or container, after brewing, the tea leaves will expand to 80%-90% of the container. Once you get familiar with the tea, you may explore your own brewing method.
