Tea Review: 台湾阿里山乌龙清香
Tea: Taiwanese Ali Shan Oolong from Teavivre
Price: $3 for a sample or $24.90 for 100 g (3.5 oz)
Ingredients: Tea leaves
Oolong is one of those teas that I don't drink for ages, and when I finally do I remember how much I love it and should drink it more often. I got this sample set in the mail from teavivre with a bunch of oolongs, so hopefully that will give me motivation to drink it more often.
Opening the bag, I get a sharp smell of grass. The leaves are wound in balls that are about 2.5 cm in diameter. They're a tender green, with yellow tips. It reminds me a bit of a gunpowder tea, except slightly larger. The smell mellowed out once the back was open, and it was slightly floral. Overall fairly balanced, although I wish the strength had remained for a bit longer than a minute or two after I opened the bag.
Into the strainer they go. The first few minutes, the leaves didn't expand as much as I'd like, so I let it steep towards the longer edge of the recommended time (1-5 min). They did end up expanding, and became a nice forest green. The tea is smooth, if a bit flat. The liquid is clear, and well balanced. It's floral, and lingers well, but there is a slight bitter edge I'm not happy with. This tea also has slight vegetal undertones but they're less prominent than they could be. The second steep was much better, and it ended up expanding really nicely, but the first steep wasn't very good.
Overall? Good oolong, but I've had better for a lower price. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the local teashop, but I think the bitterness really put me off this tea. This is probably worth getting a sample of, because the smell is really nice, and if you do steep it a bit less it probably won't be bitter, but then the leaves won't expand as well as you may want. Probably not a beginners oolong, but also not one I'd drink every day. Not bad, but like I said it's just not my favorite.
