I don’t know why but I really just assumed that the oolong in this blend would be a lot more green and floral leaning. So, I was pretty surprised when I took my first few sips and was greeted with a more nutty and mineral-leaning oolong base. Nothing super dark and roasted, but just not that pop of fresh green I’d anticipated given the name. I thought it was very smooth though, and the oolong chosen did work nicely with the milder strawberry flavour I was picking up. A little floral still, but really felt like the floral notes were coming from the flavourings and not the tea itself.
In general, as I work my way through this LARGE tea haul from London, one thing I’m heavily noticing is how much more floral-leaning most teas tend to me – either overtly in ingredient inclusion or in the under/overtones of the tea based or just in the types of flavourings used. It’s a fun little quirk of the UK palate – florals are so much more polarizing here.