Winter oolong from Lugu

This machine picked and processed oolong from a lower plantation in Nantou, Lugu has a very nice soft orchid flower fragrance. It's almost not roasted. A very green, light oxidized oolong. The winter season gives this oolong a particular dry, strong yun. The astringency level is reasonably low for this low priced oolong. It is mostly a luanze oolong, but (here is a secret of cheaper oolongs in general) it's blended with other oolongs. In this case, I recognized a few jinshuan leaves that help give it a fresh and pleasing nose. (Wineries in France also use different grapes in one wine to achieve a certain balance of aromas and tastes. Done with skill, such wines can taste better than 'single grape' wines).

My advice to brew this tea: since it's a more 'fragrant' type oolong, I recommend using a tea vessel (teapot or gaiwan) with very thin walls. The water you choose will be very important as well. It should be very pure and contain very few minerals. I've tasted it three times so far, and actually had better results with a large teapot than with my gaiwan! Since it's not as concentrated as a high elevation Oolong, it won't brew as many times. So it fits better for times when you are thirsty and have little time to brew several intense cups of gongfu cha.