Dec 20
Review: Norbu Tea Taiwan Alishan High Mountain Oolong Spring Harvest 2009
Norbu Tea, Oolong Tea Add commentsLynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "The large leaves of this oolong are tightly twisted into sizable dark green nuggets with lighter tones scattered throughout. The fragrance of the dry leaves is quite strong and very floral—a "High Mountain Aroma" that the website describes as "orchidy.""
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9.5/10
From the Norbu Website: "This is an excellent example of High Mountain Oolong Tea from the Alishan (Mount Ali) Scenic Area in Taiwan. Oolong tea is almost an obsession among the population in Taiwan, and tea grown in the higher elevation plantations on Alishan enjoys immense popularity throughout the region. . . . This particular tea was grown at an altitude of 1,200+/- Meters (3,900+/- feet) above sea level. This batch is from the second pluck of the Spring season of 2009 . . . The way this tea was roasted created a balance between flavor and aroma in the finished product. A lighter roasting would have resulted in more aroma, but less mouth feel and Hui Gan (aftertaste), while a heavier roasting would have decreased the aroma but increased the strength of flavor and final mouth feel of the steeped liquor. . . I worked with our producer to choose this roasting style based on the theory that the balance between flavor and aroma would be best suited to the tastes of our customers in the West."The large leaves of this oolong are tightly twisted into sizable dark green nuggets with lighter tones scattered throughout. The fragrance of the dry leaves is quite strong and very floral—a "High Mountain Aroma" that the website describes as "orchidy." It is intensely sweet and floral. I infused the leaves gong fu style in an 8 oz Yixing teapot. After warming the pot, I put in the dry leaves, covered them with 175F water and immediately poured it off, then covered the rinsed leaves and let them infuse for no more than fifteen seconds. The result was a lovely, pale green liquor with a sweet flavor with just a hint of bitter sweetness, and a heady floral fragrance. It was smooth and mouth filling, not too thick, with a sweet, long lasting finish, or "Hui Gan," that left a very pleasant fragrance in my mouth, the result of the tea's low oxidation and relatively light roasting.
A note on water temperature: A temperature of 195F is suggested by the vendor, but I have lately been using a slightly lower heat and find that I get a more mellow infusion, and many short steepings. For a sharper, perhaps slightly more intense flavor a higher temperature can be used.
Returning to the pot, I found the leaves only slightly relaxed, and still quite crumpled up, but very dark green. I smoothed one out and it was nearly two inches long, and almost half that wide; quite beautiful. I allowed the second infusion to steep for 20 seconds, then turned the temperature up to 195F on my Zojirushi water pot for the next infusion, just to see what the hotter water does to this tea. This longer infusion had a more pronounced bitter sweetness, but that was balanced once again by the sweet, long Hui Gan of the finish. The orchidy floral scent was still strong, and to my Western nose, had a hint of corn silk in the mix.
I did a third infusion of 20 seconds at 195F, which resulted in a slightly darker green, even after two steepings. It was highly fragrant, but more bitter, though still with the sweet finish. I think either heat will do, depending on your taste.
That was all the time I had for this tea, but I set the pot aside for more steepings later. The last Norbu oolong I tested gave me nearly a dozen good infusions before I just couldn't drink any more! I've only had a few of their oolongs so far, but they have been uniformly excellent and I look forward to experiencing more of them soon. Highly recommended.
— To purchase Norbu Tea Taiwan Alishan High Mountain Oolong Spring Harvest 2009, 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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