Master's Oolong Classic

A caveat for this review: when I started brewing Master's Oolong Classic, my kettle was set for 205 F/ 96 C which may have an effect on my experience. I subsequently heated the water further to 212 F/ 100 C.

Right now, I have three TGY variants and a High Mountain Taiwanese Oolong in my rotation. Yesterday, this tea joined them. Because my taste is so attuned to the flavors of those two related groups of tea, I was in for a big surprise when I tasted Master's Oolong Classic. There is a bit of what I expect from the other teas: high floral notes and the interplay of green and oxidized notes. There's also the minerality that I tasted in Taiwanese Gaoshan oolong. However, there is more. A camphor taste, not unlike Pu'er, grows with each infusion as well as a sweetness that overcomes the nuttiness of the liquor. The increasingly strong camphor taste was shared with Master's 7 Year White, the other tea I ordered. Another thing they shared is that the tea, aside from minerality, moderate floral notes, and nuttiness, did not reveal itself until Infusion #7 and came out like a tiger. The full floral character of the tea was bold and complicated, indisputable sweetness floated in with the velvety mouth feel, and the mint/ anise/ camphor background note made itself very well known. I'd also say that this tea, and Master's 7 Year White do not only withstand forgotten brews but reward them. Maybe the leaf material is so robust that it requires time to release all of its aromatic compounds. What this presents as is that a flash brew at Infusion #11 will be sweeter and more complex than Infusion #2. However, none of them hold a candle to 1 minute or more brewing in the upper infusions. I bought only 8 grams of Master's Oolong Classic (out of which I can get two infusions) and so will look forward to buying more in the future to grow an acquaintance with this tea.

I fell in love with the osmanthus oolong, and it now ranks high up in my list of favourite teas. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety and the fragrance is out of this world. And there's no doubt that the fragrance is natural, not only does it taste otherworldly, you can also literally see the osmanthus flowers amid the tea leaves. A real delight to enjoy on an afternoon break, or why not with a homemade brunch!