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WARNING- LONG LONG LONG NOTE FOR AN OOLONG.

My stash is the 2020 lot, but it has the same notes as they used in their description for 2021. I actually ordered 50 grams of this last year but got 2 10 gram samples; I contacted the company and they sent me the 50 grams that I ordered.

Reviewing this one, it’s an extremely clean and thick high mountain oolong. It can handle high temperatures and it usually lasts at least 6 steeps for me when I brew it in the 20-30 sec increment scale, but I also follow the parameters on the website rinsing the tea, then going for 60, 50, 65, 90, and then long steeps ahead. The shorter steeps bring out more of the florals you smell in the aroma into the taste, but the longer steeps gong fu give you a more rounded mouthfeel. Boiling water amps up aroma, cooler temperatures make the tea a little bit sweeter in my experience.

The notes on this one are interesting because it really hits you more in feeling, while the tea is not lacking in flavor. It’s a lighter tea that I can see red tea drinkers snubbing, and it’s not as fruity as other Dayulings. While it’s definitely floral, the florals are harder to pin apart other than orchid, some hyacinth, and other more subtle white flowers. Snowdrops kept coming to my mind. It is definitely sweet having a white sugar note in the first two steeps, even in the rinse, and it’s got a refreshing vegetal creamy mouthfeel. The site describes the vegetal notes as being like mountain cabbage, and I can see it in the teas refreshing crisp quality. Sometimes it’s got a white egg quality in texture, and there were times where I get peach in steep 3, but not too often. Orchid, sugar, white flowers, and cabbage are the main notes I get.

Like most Dayuling’s it’s effervescent, and it feels like your drinking a mountain mist cloud in overlooking a forest kind of like the way the describe. Like a cuifeng, it’s got some alpine notes too which I usually don’t get. They were describing petrichor, but I am getting something like drinking dew and misty fog. This tea is the essence of moisture, and moisture is the essence of beauty……(mer-man high pitch pitiful coughing)
Comment if you know the movie reference!

So yes, this is leaf water, but it’s good leaf water that comes from mountains with water falls and mist. Basically, it’s what a Dayuling is supposed to be. I’ve only had one other Dayuling that I’ve liked a little bit more in terms of flavor, but I highly recommend this one mostly because I recommend Wang Family Tea period. Their customer service is awesome and none of their teas disappoint me. If you are looking more for something flavor forward and fruity, then the Fushou Shan might be a better bet or one of the specialty Shanlinxi’s. The cuifeng is also exceptional if you are looking for something cheaper but just as good.

I’m just glad that I finally got to reviewing this one. I know a few of you are probably tired of the constant high mountain oolongs I review. They are becoming a specialty at this point. Leafhopper, if you want me to save some of this for you, I will. Just let me know.