Review: Taiwan Sweet Summer Oolong
This fragrant, flavorful tea has captured the summer in its tightly furled deep green and olive tea leaves. It has sweet grassy and floral smells, and once infused is like drinking in the warm flavor of roasted nuts while breathing in the honeyed aroma of summer’s wild flowers. This tea was delightful and seems quite resilient on steep times, retaining a great flavor without bitterness. It would make a great everyday tea or paired with a meal.
Life in Teacup’s Description:
- Production Year: 2010
- Production Season: Summer
- Production Region: Nantou County, Taiwan
- Style: Traditional green style
Tasting Notes
Brewing Instructions
The recommended brewing method is in a gaiwan or a small teapot. Use newly boiled water for 5 grams of tea leaves. Warm up the vessel by pouring hot water into it and immediately draining it. Wait for about 1 min. before starting the next infusion.
Time each of the first three infusions (after warm-up) at 20 seconds. Extend infusion time based on taste for later infusions. Most oolong tea can well last for at least 5-7 infusions.
Appearance
The dry leaves are a deep green and olive, with the leaves tightly crumpled against the slender little stems in tight little bundles. The little pieces hold in themselves a forgotten slice of summer, emanating a fresh, grassy smell with the faint fragrance of flowers and honey.
After the first infusion, the leaves have slightly expanded to show a hint of roast on their slightly browned edges. The leaves are expansive and full-bodied now and dwarf the small stem. The colors deep into a verdant green color, and release the aroma of toasted nuts.
The liqueur is a bright and gleaming gold.
Taste
This tea is not shy, and proclaims itself in the first infusion with a bold toasted nuts and coffee aroma. It has a woodsy and dry grass scent. This tea’s finish is not as sweet as other oolongs, but instead maintains a smooth coffee and hazelnut taste through to a smooth, well-rounded finish. Instead, the floral scent promised by the dry leaves manifests itself as part of the aroma. It creates a wonderful disparity of experiencing the tea with all your senses. As if I’m drinking in the flavor of warmth and roasted nuts, breathing in the honey aroma of summer wildflowers.
The second infusion shows more of the underlying flavor of the tea leaves. The tea shines with a light, grassy taste. The overall sensation is smooth but still flavorful. The taste is fresh and allows the floral taste to emerge more quickly at first taste. The leaves are fully expanded and dimmed in color, tipped with a light brown and red.
This quality of this tea makes it extremely resilient in how you can treat it. While I tasted it using the recommended timing and method, I also found that it stands up well to simply steeping it for a few minutes in boiling water, releasing a flavorful, full bodied tea. It’s delightful to see how large the tea leaves are after they unfurl.
Origin
This tea is from Nantou County in Taiwan.
Pricing & Where to Buy
Pack Size: 1 oz. (28g pack)
Price per unit: $2.20
Product #: 1bs
This tea can be purchased on Life in Teacup’s website here It’s priced at $2.20 per 1 oz. (28g pack).
