I actually received my samples about two and a half weeks ago, but have been so CRAZY busy with wedding stuff that I have had no time for tea (seriously- I had no tea for about six days solid, and it was awful D: ). But I survived.
Anyway, on to the specs:
Leaf appearance: Greeeeeen, with a hint of oxidization, in loosely rolled clumps. Very much the greenest oolong I have ever seen. They smell very grassy.
Steep temp and time: Around 197° F, for 3’12". I tend to steep my oolongs at below boiling for the first steep at least, because I find it brings out their natural nutty flavor that separates them from the green teas. Second steep was at full boil, steeped for the same time.
Liquor appearance: Very lightly green in color, a spring-ish green. :) Second steep came out slightly darker and a little bit browner, but not much. It smells like the same grassy aroma that came from the loose leaves, with hints of a honeysuckle-like fragrance.
Taste: In the first steep, the grassy flavor was at the forefront, the first thing that hit my to tongue. Then came the nuttiness that is characteristically oolong, with a touch of sweetness following right behind. This tea is sweet in the way that asparagus and other green vegetables are naturally sweet. Love it! And the more you let it cool off, the more the grassy, vegetal flavor just sort of falls away, leaving you a very tasty cup.
In the second steep, I didn’t get as much of the honeysuckle sweetness. The grassy vegetal flavor reigned supreme. To this, I added a TOUCH of unrefined cane sugar (I’m talking about 1/4 teaspoon), and that helped it taste better. (What can I say, I like my tea a little sweet. Sue me. XP) Again, as it cooled, the nutty oolong flavor came forward. It was very, very nice. :)
Okay, so, the verdict. I liked it pretty well. I tend to find that with oolong teas, I like the second steep more than the first, but not so with this tea. Maybe I needed to give it some more time, but I don’t know. I’ll try it again, for certain (the hubby will want a taste of this one). I didn’t try any more steeps today because of that. I also didn’t use as much tea as TeaVivre prescribed, so that was probably a factor.
