Milky Oolong - N.21

Milk oolong is one of tea's loveliest surprises: a Taiwanese oolong that is soft, creamy, almost milky, without a drop of dairy. That silky texture comes from the leaf itself, the Jin Xuan cultivar, developed in Taiwan in the early 1980s and known as "number 12," grown in a cool, misty mountain climate where sharp temperature swings shape its character. Partial oxidation, the step that defines an oolong, places it midway between green tea and black tea.

The liquor is golden and clear, soft and round, with the buttery, creamy note that gives the tea its name, a floral sweetness underneath and a light vegetal freshness. The finish is clean and lingering. It is a comforting, easy tea, delicate but full in the mouth, best taken plain, and it holds up over several infusions, each a little different from the last.

Cup notes: soft and round, buttery and creamy, light vegetal freshness
Aroma: cream, flowers, young leaves
Infusion colour: Pale gold
Recommended steeping time: 3 minutes, resteeps several times
Recommended water temperature: 90°C