A rich and interesting oolong, different from anything I've tried before. Very pleasing.

Dry leaf is loosely packed, takes up a lot of space, and has a pleasant and multifaceted smell, floral but with a light roast.

The aroma on this is similar to a light-to-medium roast, but the flavor is surprisingly bold. Flavor tangy or slightly sour, yet with little astringency. Aroma is of cinnamon and gingerbread, with tones of honey and vegetables.

The aroma is a bit muddled when I brew the tea more strongly. I preferred a weaker brewing, just one teaspoon of leaf and a first steep of only 2 minutes. This minimizes the sourness (which I found unpleasant--it reminds me of aged oolongs that have been repeatedly re-roasted) and brings out tones of roast. The tea is still less bitter than I'd like.

I was able to brew multiple infusions, but using the recommended 5 minute steeping, the 3rd cup was too weak for me. I preferred briefer steepings. This yielded a third infusion that was oddly dry, with tones of clean stone or rock in the aroma.

I liked this tea very much, but can't see buying it at its price. Even in the largest quantity it's near $250 a pound, and for that price I would want a tea that I liked across the board...this had a few weird or off qualities that would make me only want to buy it at a lower price.

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