Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, tightly rolled
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: deep gold
Eco-Cha Artisan Teas has some of the best Taiwanese oolongs that I’ve tried so I was really looking forward to digging into this one. Concubine oolongs are interesting because the leaves are bitten by the same leaf hopper insect that brings us Oriental Beauty. Right off the bat my senses were flooded with sweet honey and fruity notes along with an interesting herbaceous undertone. It grew increasingly floral with each subsequent infusion. The mouth-feel was very thick and buttery but there was a refreshing astringency in the finish that kept it from becoming too heavy. This oolong brews up quite strong so you’ll want to use just a bit less leaf than you usually would. I did at least six consecutive infusions and there were definitely a few left to be had.
Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong sample provided by Eco-Cha.