Oct 19
Shaiha’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "A naturally sweet organic 'milk' oolong. It just might rock your world."
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Ever since I tried another offering from NAIVETEA, the Delicate Bouquet Oolong, I have been on a quest to find the perfect Oolong. It has been and will continue to be an interesting quest fraught with disappointments yet made well worth it by the true gems that I come across. Well today I get the pleasure of trying out a different breed of oolong, the ‘milk’ oolong. I won’t bore you with the details of this new breed as other reviewers have covered that topic in a much better fashion than I could.My sample this bright and sunny day is NAIVETEA’s Golden Lily Oolong. This tea is certified organic from Taiwan Organic Production Association. The tea itself is a dark green, almost the color of an evergreen, and rolled up into tiny balls. According to NAIVETEA’s website this oolong has a “Fruity aroma with a hint of pineapple. Medium and smooth body with a subtle pineapple and milky flavor.” So you can imagine my surprise when I sniffed the dry tea and was unable to pick an aroma at all. I wasn’t able to even pick up the scent of tea leaves let along pineapple. So I broke apart one of the little tea balls and was able to discover where NAIVETEA hid the aroma. They conceal in the very center of the little ball of tea. What a clever idea! It wasn’t of pineapple though. Instead it smelled very slightly of jasmine.
I brewed up my sample in my Zarafina tea-maker using the oolong setting on medium strength. Since the balled tea is so compact, I weighed out my tea rather than using a dry measure. I used 5 grams of tea for 16 ounces of water. Once brewed, the aroma came rolling out even though the balls of tea have only opened up about a third of the way. This looks promising for multiple steeps. Pouring the tea into my mug, I could swear that someone had just entered my kitchen with a bouquet containing jasmine. Not overpowering but definitely there. The color of the tea is also pleasing as it is medium golden brown, almost an dark topaz color.
Now for the next part of the equation, the taste. NAIVETEA’s Golden Lily Oolong does have a medium and smooth body. Since this is my first ‘milk’ oolong, I wasn’t exactly sure how the ‘milky flavor’ would come across. To me, it is almost as though someone has put just a dab of cream into my tea without the coloring or heaviness. The taste as well as a slightly sensation of a oily coating lingers on the tongue for quite a while. This tea is has a natural sweetness which seems to strengthen as the tea cools, so if you add sweeteners I would go light. I did enjoy the flavor of this Oolong even though it didn’t quite measure up in my mind to the taste sensation of Delicate Bouquet.
Now for the bottom line. NAIVETEA’s Golden Lily Oolong didn’t rock my world in the fashion of its brother but I could easily see it doing do so for someone else. It is also pricey at $52 for 3 ounces. Would I recommend it? Oh yes! If it ends up being that perfect oolong for you, the price won’t matter.
— To purchase Naivetea Golden Lily Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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