Shan Lin Xi Winter Harvest from Camellia Sinensis

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Camellia Sinensis

Tea Description:

Initial impression from this taiwanese highland wulong is an aroma of ground-cherry and wheat-grass which evolves into fresh vanilla and flowers. Rich creamy texture with sweet final notes of coconut.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The aroma of this tea is intense!  Dry, the leaves have a fresh, exhilarating scent that reminds me of the smell of the mountain air and wildflowers.  The brewed infusion has more fruit notes than the dry leaf, but the floral tones are still there, although they are a bit softer than that of the raw leaf.

The tea infuses to a light amber color, and the flavor is sweet and creamy.  “Buttery” is often a term I use to describe greener Oolongs and even some green teas, but I don’t think it would apply to this particular tea, because while it is creamy like butter, the flavor is more like the creaminess of a coconut, it is fruit-like and sweet.  The description above pretty much nails it – I do taste notes of coconut as well as notes of vanilla, and crisp floral notes.

The later infusions seem to focus more on the floral tones than the fruit notes.  The creaminess in the first infusions subsides, making way for a more floral taste with sharp orchid notes.  A hint of almost grassy vegetation begins to emerge as well, and the fruit tones become more mellow.

A delightful cup – a little different from the typical “green” Oolong – but every bit as enjoyable, if not more so!