I found this tea to be weak in aroma and flavor. The aroma is slightly earthy but lighter than typical for a bai hao oolong, with light floral and vegetal tones, a hint of spice, and a suggestion of fruitiness. I think it's a stretch to call the aroma "complex" because it's so weak. The color of the cup is surprisingly light, even using a generous amount of leaf and brewing for 4 minutes. Smooth, with little bitterness or astringency and no sourness. Full-bodied, even if the aroma could be stronger.

Brewing with boiling water destroys a bit of the complexity and adds a mild astringency, but doesn't add any bitterness and doesn't result in a stronger or more full-bodied cup.

I'm just not feeling this one. It's expensive and it's thin and weak! Upton has many far better offerings. I found this tea was not appreciably better than significantly lower-priced Formosa oolongs, and I also strongly prefer any number of other Chinese oolongs in Upton's catalogue, again, including many ones well under half the price of this one.

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