As a lover of oolong, I tend to shy away from the higher oxidized ones as much as possible. Their flavor has always been weakly barley-esque. The one note teas that might as well be weak black teas. This oolong though may be the one to change my mind forever. This higher oxidized oolong has just as much complexity and subtle balance as any of it’s lighter cousins. The dry nose on this copper penny colored brew was light and fruity, like nectarine and honeysuckle. The result brew was a different story. I got a smell of warm cinnamon sugar on buttered multigrain toast. That was a theme that stayed consistent throughout 4 steepings in my gaiwan. On the second infusion I thought I detected a butterscotch element, but I lost it on the rest of the infusions. Oddly enough, I go an acidic smell from the brewed leaves that never transferred itself to the liquor. Lucky me! Although I was not able to brew it as many times as my other lightly oxidized oolong, I did have fun with this one until I got to that mellow black tea quality.
Flavors: Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Honey, Toast