Thousand Step

Tea: Thousand Step
Vendor: Swan Sisters
Price: $9.00 /oz
Harvest: April 2008
Vendor Description:Thousand Step Oolong originates from the Wu Yi Mountains in northern Fujian, an area renowned for producing some of the finest Oolongs available in China. This special tea is crafted by the award winning tea master Liu Guo who produces only small batches of select Oolong varieties each year. The outstanding quality of this tea is apparent in its velvety texture, caramel color, and smooth creamy finish. 2 teaspoons of Thousand Step Oolong can be infused with boiling water up to 6 times.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is dark in color, mostly a black color with a light brown/greyish surface. There are shades from a dark brown to hues of black. The aroma is deep and rich.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 208F, 45s, 5s rinse

1st Infusion: The hue of this tea reminds me of amber. This tea has a rich and thick malty aroma. The flavor is in juxtaposition to the aroma. It is very light and fruity. It is smooth and rolls down the tongue. Despite the light flavor though it is very full bodied and has a thickness to it. Just not much in terms of intensity.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 1 min

2nd Infusion: The second infusion had a slightly darker amber hue to it. The flavor felt much sharper than before, it comes through as a stronger, richer flavor. The aroma is not as abundant, but it is still thick and rich. The flavor feels bodied yet light.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 2 min

3rd Infusion: This infusion is a dark brown color, but it is very clear. The flavor feels lighter than the 2nd infusion and it has an interesting peppery feel to it.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea has a very rich and enjoyable aroma for a Wuyi oolong. The flavor has some nice tones to it and an interesting feel on the third infusion. Compared to some Wuyi oolongs this has a more refined flavor. I have not had too many though thus far and my palatte in terms of Wuyi oolongs is still developing. At it's price it seems a bit expensive compared to other oolongs I have seen though.