Thursday, August 11, 2011

White Oolong

White Oolong...

This tea does not quite resemble a white tea, or an oolong tea.
Read more about this contradiction at the Norbu Tea website.

The dry leaf is quite extraordinary; the leaves look frosted and outlined in faint white. The leaves are well pearled and have a wonderful waxy sheen to them.

In trying to describe this tea in a way one could understand, I ran into a few instances of writers block, and tasting memory block (if there is such a thing!).

The aroma of the dry leaf can be summed up in a few different scents:
Sweet bread, cream and raw stevia.
There is also a very mildly vegetal hint in the mixture of aromas.

The leaves after the initial rinse had a plain smell that was simply milky sweet.
In several ways, this tea reminded me of a quality baozhong.

As the tea brewed, I took to thinking.
This tea was unlike any other I have experienced thus far. To even say this tea reminds me of a baozhong is a stretch.

The sweet steam rising off the top of the cup carried the smells of raw plant matter and sweet cream. There was a light floral aspect as well, but barely traceable.

Throughout the whole session with this puzzling specimen, I wrung my brain to find the right descriptors.
This is the best I could come up with...

Raw sugar cane
Creamy edamame


That is the extent to which I can describe this tea in my own words.

The tea did not have the greatest endurance, but the flavor profile stayed consistent for each steep.

This was a humbling encounter with a stunning tea.
I could not have had a better session.


~billy