Osmanthus Oolong

My last sample from Tea Avenue. The base is an Alishan, a Jin Xuan picked at 1200 meters. The degree of oxidation is inevitably low, 2 on a scale of 10 (I love those details from the Tea Ave.)

Although we have some osmanthus flowers mixed with the Alishan it is not profusely. I’m sick so I will not go into the description of the smell of the leaf. Fortunately my taste is not yet affected by the cold.

Once drained, we can not see them again too … it’s an Osmanthus hide and seek game.

The liquor is of course very pale, a very pale yellow like Alishan have the secret.

The taste is pleasant : a refreshing Alishan with nice floral notes.

Was it a good idea to have choosen this one for the morning? … Not sure. I think this tea is perfect for the evening (well for my taste). This is undeniably a tea very good. This is not my favorite type of tea but it doesn’t shadow all its qualities. Thank you so much Heidi at Tea Avenue for this sample.

Pics of my session are available here : https://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/osmanthus-oolong-tea-ave/

Tea provided by Tea Ave for review

Wrapping up my sample reviews for Tea Ave, I saved the Osmanthus Oolong tea for last. Sometimes I either really love or dislike flavoured teas. So I went into this tea session with much curiosity.

Sniffing the aroma cup, there is a nice scent of warm, sweet honey and butter. Tasting the liquor, the flavour of osmanthus is hard to ignore. It’s somewhat peachy in flavour and sweet. The oolong tea base has a much bolder flavour than the two previous samples I tried (Oriental Beauty and Li Shan). Together, the osmanthus and oolong are paired fairly well, it didn’t seem like either one was overpowering the other.

Osmanthus Oolong remained a consistent steeper up til my final fifth cup. I could have probably resteeped it more if I wanted to. That being said, I couldn’t really get into the osmanthus flavour. The tea flavour was ok, but my taste buds are still on the fence with osmanthus.

Overall I enjoyed this floral oolong more than I thought I would. But I do not enjoy the taste of osmanthus as much as I enjoy the scent of it. Sometimes I prefer a bold flavoured tea, but the pairing of bold oolong and strong floral taste was too much for me. This is the sort of tea I’d recommend for those that prefer a stronger tea. It has a good strong flavour that you don’t have to concentrate on to taste. Perfect for sipping while doing other tasks (homework, browsing the internet, etc).

Steeped as suggested on package 1m, 1m30s, 2m, 2m30s, 3m

I have had a few Osmanthus oolong teas before and while I enjoy the fragrance, I had trouble enjoying the flavor. They were cloyingly sweet. That said, I’m going to give this one a chance and see what happens.

The dry leaves in a warm gaiwan smell heavily of sweet flowers and bright orange fruit like oranges or apricots. There are also hints of milky cream scent from the Jin Xuan cultivar used in this tea. Orange cream-sickle anyone?

I am using a Taiwanese aroma cup set to enjoy this tea. The scent is even more decadent coming out of the aroma cup, very creamy and fruity, very sweet and honey-like.

The first infusion is pale yellow. Surprisingly, the flavor that comes through the most in the drink is the creamy taste of the oolong itself. The floral sweetness comes in as a refreshingly sweet aftertaste. The mouthfeel of this tea, just like all the others I’ve tried from Tea Ave so far, is exceptionally smooth and clean, very crisp, not drying at all.

The aroma from the second steeping is really just impressing me to no end. Is this really osmanthus tea? Haha. It smells like oranges and cream. I am melting a little bit every time I sniff it. The liquor is a little more yellow this time, but still on the pale side. The flavor is wonderfully sweet and mellow. There is nothing cloying about this tea at all, nothing soapy, nothing bitter, nothing that tastes artificial. Wow!

By the third infusion, I almost can’t imagine having this tea without an aroma cup. The way the scent lingers in there and is just so rich and concentrated… it’s incredibly invigorating and relaxing both at once. This is great. Sure the scent is good off the drinking cup too, but it’s a little different, and not as potent. The flavor this time is incredibly rich and smooth. Wow.

Tea Ave, you have made a believer of me. I look forward to trying your entire selection of loose teas. I think this company could really go far! Osmanthus is a tea I haven’t even liked in the past, and of the three samples you’ve sent, this one is my favorite! Wow! I am just so impressed! The flavors of the oolong and the osmanthus flowers really complement each other, a perfect yin and yang. I don’t taste one more than the other. This is brilliant. Kudos to the farmers and staff who produced this tea!

I was going to end this review here, but made a 4th infusion while I was finishing up, and goodness, I can’t take how good this is! Few teas put me in a tea frenzy like this. This is good stuff! The sweetness lingers in your mouth for such a long time.

Gorgeous leaf with light reddish-amber crumbles which must be the osmanthus flowers. Fragrant as well as visually pretty.

Brews a clear, pale yellow color. Lovely candy-like and floral aroma. Tastes sweet, creamy and custard-like, and very delicious!. Brewed leaves four times with abundant flavor in each.

Thank you Tea Ave for your generosity in sending this beautiful tea to try!