Clean, crisp and calming.
The rose petals in scent remind me of a purplish heirloom variety we have in the backyard. They have a sweet fruitiness to them almost like cherry with a hint of purple bitterness. Not so airy or perfumey but full-bodied with a hint of earthy spiciness. The rose petals of this blend impart a tinge of pink to the clear, brownish-yellow tea.
The dry jin xuan oolong leaf in aroma has delicate notes of sweet sugarcane and cream and vegetal snap peas. Its taste is subtle with dry grassiness and a generic vegetal quality. The minerality is particularly noticeable. There is biting astringency around my tonsils that I do find distracting at times. Light-bodied.
Fruity light cherry with stronger rose finish that moves to the sip with some floral bitterness as the session progresses. Sweet cream also in the finish shows up early and fades by the second steep.
The aftertaste is the prominent part of the experience, with an expansive and lingering fruity perfume of osmanthus and peach. Such a delight. Accompanying that is a touch of menthol to open the sinuses, which draws the aftertaste higher.
Decent jin xuan base tea with plenty of rose petals mixed in. The rose is delicate for me and not overwhelming. If your normal preparation is western style, I’d suggest brewing this one gongfu because that awesome aftertaste doesn’t seem to appear when prepared western.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Butter, Cherry, Cream, Dry Grass, Garden Peas, Menthol, Mineral, Osmanthus, Peach, Rose, Spicy, Sugarcane, Vegetal
