Pinglin Wulong 1980Some aged oolongs require a hearty rinse before their true beauty is revealed. This Taiwanese oolong from the 80s, on the other hand, bursts onto the palate right from the start, like a song from that decade you just cant get enough of. It is in a league of its own among aged teas, thanks to its remarkably light body, indicating expert handling during the moderate (re )roasting process. This tea lacks the usual signs of age, so there is no need to

a foremost taste of wet wood giving way to the warm nuttiness of pignoli before reemerging dry and spicy in the aftertaste as sandalwood incense

Its profile is elegant yet satisfying

not too precious—just grounded

sourced from the northern township of Emai

Surprisingly tasty on its own

and turn the set upside down

A sip of water after each steep will taste like sugary nectar

revealing itself as a masterpiece of balance

It offers a clean

this is a very quaffable and—dare one say

this is an excellent tea to start the day

a tea tree over 70 years in age