When I first began my tea journey eight years ago, I started with oolong.  My tea mentor and advisor told me, “You could try a different oolong every Monday for the rest of your life and you would still have several hundred to go.”  I was filled with regret that I wasted so many years on coffee.

Organic High Mountain Oolong from Eco-Cha is lightly fisted.  The leaves are long and brownish green when unfurled.  A teaspoon of the twisty nuggets expands beautifully. The tea is forgiving, unlike some blacks where you are punished for steeping too much or too long with a strong tannin knock on the roof of your mouth.  This tea from Eco-Cha can easily be steeped six times without tasting diluted.  Indeed, from the second steep on, the brew takes on new characteristics.  First, there is a hint of tobacco and leather, quite pleasant.  Succeeding steeps bring out a floral balance.  Some oolongs taste almost fishy.  Not this one.  It is pleasant and comforting.  I wanted to keep steeping and sipping, like getting a big warm hug.

I used water heated to 208 degrees.  The first steep was three minutes, to which I added thirty seconds to a minute for each successive steep.  The leaves lengthen and flatten with each steep.  The aroma is roasty-toasty, the mouth feel is smooth; the aftertaste lingers toward dried fruit.

Like many lovely oolongs, this tea is on the expensive side.  Given the number of satisfying steeps, however, it is an economical choice for oolong lovers out there.

Loading and post image from Eco-Cha.