Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong

Tea: Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Price: $19.95 / 4 oz.
Source: Darjeeling, India
Vendor Description: This unique Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong grown high in the foothills of the Himalayans produces a satisfying cup with a floral aroma and smooth, clean flavor. Partially oxidized or semi-fermented, this tea exhibits the best flavor characteristics of a high quality Darjeeling and a nuanced Oolong. Handmade at the prestigious Okayti estate known worldwide for its consistently superior Darjeeling teas, this Autumn Flush Oolong is sure to please.

Leaf: This tea was a bit more unusual of a look than the previous Darjeeling from Mighty Leaf. The color was very similar, but it also had some very bright white buds in it. It almost looked like someone had added a small amount of silver needle to the tea. The tea also had a lot more green to the color palette.

1st Infusion: There the same heavy aroma from this tea as the other Okayti Darjeeling, but this one also had some hints of an oolong sweetness to it. The first sip of this tea though tasted identical to the other Okayti Darjeeling. It was a full bodied Darjeeling flavor with a slight sense of bitterness to it. There were hints of the flavor and sweetness of an oolong tea, but they were masked by the strength of the Darjeeling flavor. I could find light degrees of sweetness here and there, but nothing really consistently noticeable.

2nd Infusion: At this point the leaf had fully opened up and the leaf was quite interesting to see. There were a variety of different colors to the leaf, really bringing about an autumnal feel. This infusion didn't have the same power to it as the first infusion did. This allowed for the oolong sweetness to shine through a bit more. The flavor held at a very smooth and low taste for most of the flavor, but at the end hit a nice tang. It left with a light sense of astringency. This infusion was a bit more of an oolong tea than the first.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea was a very strong and flavorful Darjeeling like the regular Okayti Darjeeling, but the oolong portion of it just wasn't that strong. I was hoping for a stronger marriage of the two styles of tea than trying to find some sweetness behind the boldness of the Darjeeling.