I’ve tried all of the high mountain sampler, and honestly, it was like trying different versions of the same type of tea. Which I know is not. Anyway, I was surprised to find that this was not my favorite. Oolong owl’s review is pretty accurate: the thick balanced creamy body is what distinguishes this tea. It is a little bit more spinachy than I like, but still quite good. The florals, buttery green notes, the light fruity sweetness, and the intense creaminess of the tea are all blended together like watercolors into a opaque creamy hue. The tea itself is actually very transparent-do not confuse my pretentious metaphor!
The intense milk like texture is what surprised me most of all. It pleased me, but a part of me wanted more florals. Oddly enough, the Alishan was actually my favorite of the samples because it had the sweetest creamy florals in my opinion.
Oh, I almost forgot! I did this gong fu, but I played it by smell and ear. I maybe could have used less leaves, but I doubt there would be much impact.
I would not personally get this tea separately for full price because I’ve had Shan Lin Xi’s I prefer for a lower price, but I whole-heartly recommend the sampler for trying different high mountain oolongs. They are all INCREDIBLY similar, but have a few differences to keep them distinct.
This is a great tea, and I do recommend it. The only deterrants might be the spinachy, buttery body. There were times when I wondered if I was drinking a Baozhong, but the fruitiness reminded me otherwise.
