Alishan high mountain oolong

Feeling in a somewhat down-to-earth mood, I used dark and plain colours as well as metallic textures to construct my cha xi today. Cha xi is a term used to describe a tea setting where one can feel most at ease when preparing and enjoying his or her tea. Add to this, a nice touch of keizerskroon tulips from the market to mark the season of spring.

I brewed a high mountain lightly oxidised oolong from Alishan. Brew was light green and clear. The scent under my gaiwan lid is light, fruity and comforting. Another cool term came out of today's tea brewing session - green salad with a creamy dressing. Fresh, tastes of fleshy fruits and at the same time buttery. This is why I keep coming back to high mountain oolong tasting reviews in my blog. The characteristic notes of this tea stay the same yet can present themselves in differing intensities. At times more buttery, at others fruitier.

As this is a rather fresh oolong, I decided to help make the brew sweeter by using my Japanese kyusu to filter the water before boiling. Sweet combination and definitely makes everything feel more like spring.