Aged Green Heart Oolong, 2003

The nose exudes enticing herbal fragrance, including thyme and dried basil, finishing with a hint of something malty.  Once steeped, the aroma shifts into pleasant memories of buttered toast, promising rich and full flavors.  The notes include raisins and crackers lightly flavored with honey.  The aftertaste is smooth, milky sweet and can be savored for minutes.

Aged oolong is fast gaining fans in the east; enthusiasts cite smoother mouthfeel and bolder yet more complex notes as superior features compared to the non-aged variant, and after a long experiment we must agree! Aged oolong is stored under strict conditions, minimizing heat and humidity, and re-roasted every two or three years to remove naturally accumulated moisture.

Steeping Instructions:

Prepare 3 grams of tea leaf (slightly less than a teaspoon) per 100ml of water(about half a cup).

For the first two steeps, 95°c water for no longer than 60 seconds will provide plenty of flavor.  From the third steep onward it is fine to add up to thirty additional seconds per steep.  This should provide between four and six re-steeps depending on the quality of the tea.  For larger vessels (teapots of over 500ml) re-steep potential is usually lower.