Typically every tea season Floating Leaves Tea does blind tastings with all the new High Mountain oolongs. This year obviously group tastings cannot be a thing. A number of my friends reported Floating Leaves Tea’s 2020 Spring Shan Lin Xi was amazing this year, so I went in on 2oz. It was an easy sell as I tend to prefer Shan Lin Xi out of all the High Mountain oolongs.
Leaf and Steeping Method
The leaves smell creamy and buttery with a slight vegetal scent.
I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml, gongfu style with boiling water. Floating Leaves Tea personally boils all their oolongs. The steeped Shan Lin Xi leaves have a sweet citrus floral scent.
Tasting of Floating Leaves Tea’s 2020 Spring Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong
First Infusion: 2020 Shan Lin Xi sips in potent and limoncello citrus, then tea quickly shifts into a heavy aroma of floral carnations and juicy parsley stems. The lingering aftertaste is bold, with the drinking texture buttery and velvety.
Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: Floating Leaves Tea’s Shan Lin Xi slinked in more of a vegetal umami taste, tasting of buttery button mushroom and fresh zesty parsley with a hit of limoncello. The Spring Shan Lin Xi then continues on to the heavy floral aftertaste. After the floral aftertaste settles, it leaves a refreshing herbal taste. With each infusion, the tea gets more zesty and vegetal tasting.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: In the end, Shan Lin Xi is all zest and pith now, the tea sips in bitterly stewy, but leaves a floral and herbs taste. Honestly, I’m drinking this all for the aroma at this point anyway. The last two infusions taste bitter fresh citrus peels that complement the herby finish.
Comments
Floating Leaves Tea’s 2020 Spring Shan Lin Xi is bold and potent in the aftertaste. The balance of floral, vegetal with the buttery texture and aroma shows that this year’s Shan Lin Xi is beautiful, strong, and resilient.
If you missed out, Floating Leaves Tea never disappoints so be sure to check out their other High Mountain oolongs!
