This tea came my to me by way of an amazing hook-up from Dinosara. Thanks!
The drink, coincidentally, has similarities to many of the teas I’ve been trying lately. As it stands, when I see the brew to be a pale yellow liquor, once ready, I start assuming it will have the clean, crisp, and light sweet notes I’m coming to expect.
This tea was no exception. There were light grassy notes but little astringecy. In fact, AWM thought that the tiny bit of bitterness I found was more a noticable-and that was also minimal.
The floral sweet notes are so welcoming to me. I’ve seen through several samples that adding sweetness can be a drinks downfall for me, yet when I find one that has enough sweet notes through natural means then that, for me, is a treat.
Though it doesn’t taste like it per se, I think of sweet corn when considering the sweet and grassy notes combined. And by that I mean the whole cob, husks and all. That’s why I “think of” rather than taste it.
There are floral notes that almost cross into fruity as well.
It’s a refreshing drink that I ended up steeping several time. In fact the most memorable (this is a backlog) was the next morning. Not wanting to be done with it I gave it another try with about half of the water and a little more time; the result was amazing! It seemed to me that all of the sweet notes had continued to break down, or dissolve if you will, and I got a sweet packed cup first thing in the morn.
Sadly that means it is in fact the last cup when this happens (I’ve seen it a few times now). I’m so thankful to the many samples I’ve recieved-I’m discovering many teas that, as it turns out, are becoming favs. I can’t see that I will have a definitive grasp on what exactly I do and don’t like for quite some time.
tunes-Collection of Irish Balads=picked it up from the library over the weekend…along with 25 or so other CDs.
Ali Shan
Our Ali Shan Oolong hails from the famed Ali Shan (a.k.a. “Alishan” or “Ali Mountain”) of Taiwan. It is a high elevation Taiwanese oolong with all the floral, sweet flavors you’d expect of one. Dry and wet, the large leaves emit aromas of clover honey, field grasses and fresh flowers. Ali Shan’s complex flavor profile includes classic floral, honeyed and creamy notes, as well as hints of marine air, clover fields, sage and cracked black pepper. A honeyed finish with suggestions of pepper, menthol and sweet grass and a creamy, sweet second infusion make Ali Shan a tea that can be enjoyed for a long period of time. Try brewing it gong fu style with a leisurely breakfast of sliced green pears, chopped fresh mint and Greek yogurt, or with a dinner of creamy sage-asparagus risotto.
