As a fan of this terroir, I bought the Shan Lin Xi, Long Feng Xia, and Shibi winter harvests for comparison. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 seconds.
In the teapot, the leaves have heady aromas of flowers and sweetness. The first steep offers notes of wildflowers, orchids, and lilacs, although my palate for flowers is not too great and I’m kind of guessing. I also get grass, cream, and resin. The body is a bit thin, but the aftertaste is persistent.
The next few steeps are even sweeter and more floral, though I wouldn’t have identified this sweetness with corn. The balsam note is also very prominent, as is the “greenness” that accompanies it. Although this greenness gradually increases, there’s enough floral and sweet notes to keep it tasty. It only starts getting overwhelming around steep nine.
If you like floral oolongs with strong balsam notes, you’ll enjoy this tea. It also has good staying power for a green oolong. I highly recommend it!
Flavors: Corn Husk, Cream, Floral, Grass, Green, Orchids, Resin
