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“The only other Forever Spring I’ve had was SerendipiTEA’s and I didn’t have hordes of luck with it. It seemed rather dark tasting and a bit flat, missing the sweet high top notes that I tend to...” Read full tasting note
“I"m starting with oolongs again today. Since they take a little more work, I find it helps to drink them when I’m fresh. This one looks pretty green, but in the tin it smells like I’m putting my...” Read full tasting note
Forever Spring Oolong, also known as Si Jie Chun Oolong, comes from the Song Bo region of the Nantou Estate in Taiwan and it is produced year-round. Its honey and pineapple notes, along with the blossom-like fragrance, make it an excellent tea both hot and iced. Good for multiple infusions.
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The only other Forever Spring I’ve had was SerendipiTEA’s and I didn’t have hordes of luck with it. It seemed rather dark tasting and a bit flat, missing the sweet high top notes that I tend to gravitate towards in oolongs. This one, on the other hand, seems to be all sweet high top note, even though I was impatient and brewed it at a higher temp which normally would decrease the higher floral notes. That makes this tea a fairly surprising one for me. I like it though.
I think if I had paid more attention to it, I could have picked out some of the notes in it but I was just so busy looking for the expected darker notes that I missed the nuances in the top notes – but it wasn’t a single note flavor. There was a note of fruit-juice-like sweetness along with the slight floral notes that was really enjoyable. My taste buds (and brain) are a little wonky today as I’m having some migraine symptoms going on but I really think I’m going to enjoy the chance to pay more attention to this tea in the future. Right now this is a soft rating and therefore subject to change.
3.5g/7oz
I"m starting with oolongs again today. Since they take a little more work, I find it helps to drink them when I’m fresh.
This one looks pretty green, but in the tin it smells like I’m putting my nose into a food seasoning of some kind. There’s a salty, spicy note. Having just made it through Thanksgiving, I want to say it’s sage.
After rinsing and doing a first steep in the gaiwan at 15 sec, though, there’s nothing of that in the aroma or flavor. The tea is pale yellow with a green tinge.
I didn’t get a lot of flavor out of the first steep. I got some floral notes and some buttery ones, but it didn’t really pop. The leaves pretty much completely unfurled after the first steep. And yes, here I get a pineapple note! It’s a sort of a strange thing but it’s there in both the aroma and the flavor.
The third steep continues the pineapple note and it’s with this steep that I understand the reference to a honey note. Though the tea is a pale yellow which makes me somehow expect it not to generate a honey note, it does. I’m also getting a slight marine note here. There’s a sugary smell left in the cup after the tea is gone.
By the fourth steep, the color is different. It’s a more intense, lemon yellow color. The flavor is similar to that of the third steep. The tea is a bit drying to the mouth.
This is definitely different from other greener oolongs that I’ve had. While I can’t say I like it as much as some of the more floral, more buttery ones, or yesterday’s milk oolong, it’s a refreshing change of pace. Some day when I whittle my stash down will I keep a Forever Spring oolong in it?
Not sure yet. This is the first one I’ve had so I’m rating it rather conservatively in the very good column. It’s a rating that is subject to revision with further thought and perhaps something else of this type to compare it to.
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Honey, Marine, Pineapple, Sage, Sugar
In case you’re not obsessed with Taiwanese tea like I am, another name for this oolong is Four Seasons, and most of them are inexpensive, floral, and easy to drink. They also tend not to give too many steeps. I keep a couple on hand for those days when I can’t be bothered appreciating something complex.
That’s funny because they seem to be the opposite things (four seasons, one season that lasts forever). And no, I didn’t know that. That puts a whole new lens on this. I know I have had Four Seasons before. Thanks for that!
I think the idea is that multiple harvests make it “forever spring,” no matter the time of year. Also regarding your milk oolong saga, some of them are made from the natural Jin Xuan varietal, while others are artificially scented with milk. The Jin Xuans tend to be more creamy and floral as opposed to straight-up butter/milk. Sorry, end of rant. :)
No, this is great, thanks! Very helpful. I am still learning after all this time. Sometimes I can’t hold on to all the info I have as the new pushes out the old more and more as I get older and have more and more thing pulling me in multiple directions, so I love hearing all of this. I’m a little scared by the artificial scenting. That sounds kind of gross to me. I have to look at the packet when I get home and see what is listed in the ingredients. The differences in my feelings about the three milk oolong I’ve had recently could be attributable to something as obvious as artificial flavoring!
Lots of teas have artificial flavours added, so I don’t think it’s an issue healthwise. However, flavoured milk oolongs tend to be made from lower-quality tea and get overwhelmed by the flavouring agent. Definitely look at the packages to see what you’ve got. (Also, milk oolongs should be inexpensive. Even Alishan Jin Xuans, which are the high mountain version, are pretty affordable.)
Tea info also seems to go in one ear and out the other for me. You’re braver than I am for experimenting with puerh!
Not worried about it for health or safety reasons or in general, just the idea of fake milk or butter grossed me out! PS there was nothing on the packet about flavoring, but it was just a sample so who knows.
