Review of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea

AromaFlavorValueTotal
10 of 103 of 54 of 587 of 100
OutstandingFairGood Value

I loved this one, and it seems to grow on me each time I drink it. It is rich and bold any way I make it.

The leaf has a rich, warming aroma, not very roasted but more homey.

I love the way this tea tastes when brewed in a mug. It's very rich and actually quite bitter. There's a hint of cinnamon in the aroma, but I thought the aroma was mostly floral and herbaceous. There is great depth to the herbaceous qualities. I can sense the tones of fruit and pine which Eco-Cha mentions in the commercial description. Finish is a little sour, almost like an aged oolong, but there's a lingering honey-like quality after the sourness clears, and I love this.

A second infusion is less aromatic but just as rich in flavor, still very strong and pleasant to drink. Easily brews three or more infusions, but I find this works best if the earlier ones are kept short. If starting with 3-4 minutes like recommended, the flavor gives out faster than I'd like.

If brewing in a mug, I liked brewing less strongly than Eco-Cha recommended, using about half as much leaf as they recommend (still more than a teaspoon though). I preferred a 1-2 minute first infusion.

This was definitely among the most interesting oolongs I've tried recently; I like the description "enigmatic". It is not among my favorite of favorite oolongs though, for the slight sourness in the flavor.

I am impressed so far, and I look forward to trying more of Eco-Cha's teas.

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Comments:

LiberTEAS wrote:
on February 7th, 2014

This is one of the nicest Milky Oolong teas I've tried.

Eco-Cha wrote:
on April 7th, 2014

Hey LiberTEAS!

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed this tea!

Eco-Cha wrote:
on April 7th, 2014

Hi Alex,

Thanks for taking the time to taste this tea, it's great to read your thoughts. Good to hear your brewing tips as well.

This was one of our favourite teas from 2013. The farm this tea is from is managed by a husband and wife team who transformed their plot of virgin high mountain bamboo forest into a tea garden just ten years ago. They produce approximately 300 pounds of tea from a typical day's spring harvest, compared to 1000 pounds a day from larger productions in the area. It was grown at 1600m elevation.

Thanks again for taking the time to taste and write about this tea!

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