It seems like an eternity since I last posted, even though it was only last week. I have been on vacation, so to speak. First my sister entered into holy matrimony last weekend. The nuptials were beautiful even though the event was held in a scary little Mississippi town called Clarksdale. The wedding was held in a church that shares a pastor with another church who is also the science teacher at the local junior high school. Talk about multi-tasking! Never-the-less, I survived the 10 hour drive talking to the hubby (my hubby), blasting the radio, and of course tasting new teas. On the way to hot and humid Mississippi, I enjoyed two cups of Orchid Temple Oolong.
Composition: Hand-crafted Oolong Tea of the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian.
Dry Visual: Very green, the color of the Orchid Temple Oolong reminds me of lush green grass. It is pressed into a ball-like form similar to gunpowder tea.
Dry Aroma: Definitely vegetal. I cannot think of another word to describe this tea.
Flavor: Orchid Temple Oolong has a definite vegetal taste with slightly floral undertones. I was reminded more of a green tea when drinking this very flavorful tea. If my favorite green tea Genmaicha is not available, I would turn to the Orchid Temple Oolong. Containing a natural sweetness, the Orchid Temple Oolong can be enjoyed both with and without sweetener. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I drank half without and the other half with just a dab of honey.
Liquor: A very pale green – depending upon the light is almost yellow.
It is not my normal practice to photograph the wet tea leaves after brewing; however, when emptying my tea infuser, I could not help being amazed by the size, shape and caliber of the tea leaves. The large leaf in the picture to your right measured over two inches in length and about an inch wide.
