Zealong Pure

I am very excited to try this tea. I’d heard a lot about Zealong teas — today I’m finally getting to try one!

The first infusion is a bright yellow, probably the brightest oolong I’ve had. The scent is a bit grassy, creamy — almost like a milk oolong. It’s quite smooth with surprisingly little flavor. I’m tasting a very slight fruity and tart note. A nice, mellow first steep.

Second infusion – The color is still just as yellow and bright. It smells a little bit more astringent this time and a bit more floral. I’m definitely getting many more floral notes in this cup. Also, there is a little bit of a green apple skin flavor — just slightly bitter. Reminds me of a clean, spring bouquet.

Third infusion – Bright yellow? Check! Scent is a bit more creamy and the floral notes are still there. This steep mirrors the second. A little bit floral, a little bit fruity and a little bit bitter.

I’d like to do more infusions, but I should be concentrating on homework instead! Overall, it’s a nice oolong .. but I’m not over the moon about it.

P.S. This marks my 200th tasting note! Hooray! I’ll have a yummy cup of tea this evening to celebrate!

I like this one a lot. A beautiful, vibrant taste that is nutty, a creamy taste in the foreground with a sweet, floral note in the background. A lovely complexity to this tea.

I’m already on my fourth infusion of this tea, and I’m loving every sip of it. It’s excellent.

Another great oolong from Tula! Very clean, smooth, velvety, and almost celery-like in taste. Juicy! I really like this!

I did a bit of background research on this tea, revealing that it was indeed grown in New Zealand and that this is one of three different varieties being produced there at the moment (the others are Zealong Dark and Zealong Aromatic). Unlike the other two, this Zealong Pure features “sweet, fresh-tasting leaves” that are “unroasted, bringing out the pure, natural flavour of the tea” (zealong.com). Their website suggests 1 tsp of leaves per cup of water, infused for a minute (at least at first).

Opening the package, I take in the aroma of the dry leaves. Sweet, very clean-smelling. They are rolled into balls, reminiscent of a ti kawn yin oolong. I prepare the water, freshly boiled, but not still boiling. The first minute of infusion goes by. The steeped liquor smells fresh and slightly floral. The leaves have a very vegetal aroma and still smell quite sweet. Sipping this first cup is a joy. From the smell of the liquor, I expected a much weaker brew than what now dances around on my tongue. While not strong, this oolong does have a full body – floral, fresh, and with just a touch of that natural sweetness.

Eagerly, I go ahead and steep the leaves again, for the suggested one minute. The leaves now have taken on a fuller aroma, more “juicy,” but in a floral sense. The smell of the brewed tea is still subdued, but after the first cup, I know this subdued aroma could hold great flavour. I can tell that the flavour has gone, somewhat, from the leaves, in comparison to the first steeping. It is, however, still there with the sweetness becoming a bit more prominent and equal with the other flavours.

The third steep is for two minutes (as per the suggestions from zealong.com). The longer steep-time has brought the flavours and aromas back in line with the first steeping. Full bodied, perhaps even a bit stronger flavour-wise than the first infusion. Ah, it is still delicious, regardless. I go ahead and put this tea through several more steepings. The zealong.com website makes the claim that it will last six to eight infusions. I am satisfied, and gladly would rate this tea a 92/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

I was thrilled to find Zealong available in Canada through Tula Teas at the recent Victoria Tea Festival after hearing great things this New Zealand grown oolong.
I have always been hesitant to try oolongs grown outside of their original growing locations, but the Zealong folks have done a brilliant job.

I easily steeped this one 6 times, about a minute each time, just under the boil. As the name suggests, a very clean, sweet and pure aroma coming from the cup, and the beautiful clear yellow liquor was quite striking.
Beautiful silky mouthfeel, sweet and soft floral buttery flavours.
Looking forward to trying the roasted version soon!