Li Li Xiang Anxi Oolong (Organic)

I got the 2008 on sale for less than three dollars for 50 grams.

The dry leaf is pretty with lots of green mixed with much darker leaf. When steeped, the liquor was a deep gold color. The aroma was very floral with heavy toasty notes. The flavor was: smooth, deep, rich, earthy, with a slight sweetness and roasty toasty goodness. A lingering slightly tart fruitiness. I infused this many times. At the end the flavor was not as strong, but still very good.

I loved this tea. I am just now delving into the world of oolong, so haven’t much to compare it to, but it was just really satisfying. I don’t know what it tasted like in 2008, but it’s still tasty…especially at the current sale price.

i just love oolong period.. this one in particular left a lasting impression on me. very smooth and elegant.

This tea has bones. Yesterday’s Zi Yun Shan was palatable, if a bit flat. However, today, the Li Li Xiang lit me up. Nice tight nuggets of roasted delight grew into large crumpled and creased muddy-colored leaves. Nice chewy depth with flavors of almond, apricot, and a nip of lychee. The moderate amount of roast really adds depth and complexity to an otherwise expectable flavor. A bit nutty, as toasted sesame seeds. Most importantly, this tea held on. A layer at the bottom of my 6oz gaiwan lasted many, many steeps and gave a succulent brew from a 48 minute steep (!) at the end. I’m impressed by the quality of such an affordable (on-sale) tea. One that reminds me how good more oxidized, roasted oolongs can be.

One of my staple oolongs that I decided to bring to Japan with me. I drank a looot of it!

This is one of my “always in stock” teas. It’s the same tea as Seven Cups Monkey Picked but it’s been roasted longer… it’s still a light roast to me, though ;-). I brew this one regularly and have found that it’s even quite tasty when brewed in my cast iron pot. Usually the lighter teas can’t stand up to that pot.

Anyway, I drink this tea on its own or I sprinkle some osmanthus in when I brew it. I don’t use as much osmanthus as they use when you sit down at Seven Cups, but I like that addition. I often only finish about 3 pots in a day, so I brew the remaining infusion(s) and put them in the fridge. This makes a delightful iced tea. I drink it on its own or with Trader Joe’s Peach Medley juice. I’ve also used it to make a cocktail with sake, peach medley, and the tea.