Name: Jade Oolong
Brand: Rishi Tea
Type: Oolong
Form: Loose leaf
Cost: $5.50 for 1 ounce, quantity discounts available
Review: Jade oolong, let me count the ways in which I love thee:
- I love your heady floral aroma.
- I love your smooth, rich mouthfeel.
- I love your beautiful green/gold color.
- I love your complex floral, green plant and wood flavors in the first infusions.
- I love your mix of honey and tropical fruit flavors that emerge in the later infusions.
- I love your beautiful green leaves. Seeing them slowly unfurl is a wonderful treat.
- I love how I can manage to get six or seven steeps from your leaves, and I don’t have to use that much leaf to begin with.
- I love the smooth, intense, and refreshing refrigerator iced tea that is your alter-ego.
(Can you tell that I like jade oolong?)
Rishi Tea’s Jade Oolong goes a long way in reinforcing my blinding love of this tea. The dry nose on the pretty little rolled pellets is sweet and floral. When infused, the liquor is a lovely green/gold, with a lilac and tropical forest nose.
Like other jade oolongs, the first few (1-3) infusions are very floral, with notes of honey and fruit emerging in subsequent infusions (4-7). This tea does not loose color with infusions, and the flavor changes, but does not weaken.
(This makes the tea a very good value.)
Infusion Tips: Because this tea is so strong, and because floral notes dominate, it is very important not to use too much leaf or to oversteep. While using a gaiwan is fine, not decanting will result in a bitter and disagreeable brew. Start with a small amount of leaf, and use short infusions to avoid disappointment.
Like most oolongs, this tea is a great candidate for refrigerator iced tea. Check out Rishi’s site for details on how to make it.
Affiliate Links in this Post?: No.
Sample Provided by Retailer?: Yes.
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