Let’s check out Floating Leaves Tea’s new 2019 Spring High Mountain oolongs. I went with Shan Lin Xi and Hehuan Shan this year, both being favorites in blind tastings.
Floating Leaves Tea’s 2019 Spring Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong
Shan Lin Xi is generally my favorite High Mountain oolong and I buy it when it is available. I am super excited that Floating Leaves Tea got it this season, after not carrying it for a while due to previous seasons not making the cut.
The leaf is floral, sweet, buttery, and a touch roasted in scent.
I steeped my high mountain oolongs at 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, at a boil, gongfu style. Yes, these are light and green oolongs but if you have tea at Floating Leaves, they boil them. After a rinse and steeping, the hot leaves have a sweet spinach scent.
First, Second, Third Infusion: The flavor of Shan Lin Xi is of whipped sweet butter and tender leafed spinach with tulips. Shan Lin Xi’s texture is heavy with an oily feeling. The aftertaste switches modes with a fresh vegetal and refreshing herb bomb. Early on, I got a bit of salivation too. The aftertaste is the star of the show and is complex, rotating with refreshing subtle basil and mint, butter, spinach, leaning umami like gyokuro without the grass.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Infusion: Shan Lin Xi got more tulip floral in flavor with a potent buttery spinach vegetal finish, followed by the fresh umami aftertaste. I did a long 5-minute infusion for the final steeping and it was light, crispy herbal and squeaky spinach. It is moderately dry but not bitter.
This season’s Shan Lin Xi is bold with an aftertaste heavy focus. Overall, this High Mountain oolong checks all the boxes in a good one with a slick texture, floral and vegetal, with a banging aftertaste. Shan Lin Xi is particularly in your face and doesn’t want you to forget about it.
Floating Leaves Tea’s 2019 Spring Hehuan Shan High Mountain Oolong
Hehuan Shan has been getting better and better each year and seems to be the Floating Leaves Tea shop favorite.
The dry leaf smells like a sugar cookie with lots of butter.
Rinsed, the leaf smells fresh vegetals and sweet.
First and Second Infusion: Hehuan Shan sips in buttery and sweet like there are sugar crystals that haven’t’ been fully creamed while making cookies. The broth is thick and dense, like cotton candy, with the finish and aftertaste a crisp salad mix of lettuce and arugula.
Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: Hehuan Shan is on the softer gentler side, though I say this after drinking an in your face Shan Lin Xi. It sips in soft and buttery but blooms arugula and floral note. The third infusion hit maximum aftertaste leaving a strong refreshing minty arugula flavor.
The final infusion was bitter and drier than the Shan Lin Xi, but full of potent vegetal aftertaste.
Hehuan Shan is elegant and smooth, having a great balance of sweet, buttery, and vegetal with a touch of floral, along with strong thick texture and aftertaste.
Both High Mountains are good, it will likely boil down to personal taste. A bolder and balanced tea would be Shan Lin Xi, whereas smooth and buttery goes to Hehuan Shan.
