I got this as a sample single bag from the Kiwi Importer. I figured this was a green tea blend, but a closer look at the ingredients includes the Zealong Aromatic Oolong. That’s a relief. Although the Zealong Greens are very good and fruity, the kawakawa clashes with the green florals in my opinion. Zealong Aromatic was also my favorite of the Zealongs because it resembles a roasted Shan Lin Xi.
I hesitated at first because the other greener blends of the botanicals were too bitter to drink straight. Loading so many ingredients with oolong also did not seem like a good idea, but the night was late for gong fu focus, so a lazy western cup was the way to go. Dryleaf was nice, and the 3 minute steep matched the smell. Lemongrass dominated the flavor, and the initial sip was zesty followed by a midtone from the ginger. The sweetness rose and warmed up through a light viscuous texture and transitioned into the tulsi, kawakawa, and the slight tartness of the oolong. The oolong was in the background and provided the texture. It already had notes akin to lemongrass as a straight tea, so the blend was natural, but the other ingredients subdued it. There was a hint of the jasmine in the first brew. It was barely noticeable. Lacking jasmine could be good or bad depending on the drinker, and it was kinda welcomed for me despite my floral love. This cup is floral; however, it is more of a cleansing tea like the seller claims.
The rebrews were not bad. The second at five minutes was still dominated by lemongrass, a little bit of ginger, tulsi, and a tad bit more oolong. The final grandpa rebrew was mostly ginger, tulsi, and lemongrass.
I would not pay Zealong’s exorbitant price for it, but I would recommend it personally over the other greener blends if you’re looking for lemongrass teas. Of course I am biased because of the oolong, but it does stand against the other ingredients. The other two botanicals that I’d recommend are the black tea blends like the Sweet Amber and the Zealong Grey if you can get them cheaper on Amazon or Kiwi Importer. I liked them a little bit more, but did enjoy the fresh qualities of this one.
