Okay, so I’ve been really getting into different kinds of tea lately. You know, expanding my horizons beyond the usual black tea with milk. I decided to dive into the world of oolong tea, specifically the Japanese kind.

First off, I went hunting for some good quality leaves. I hit up a few local tea shops and even browsed some online stores. Ended up grabbing a small bag of what they called “Japanese Oolong” from a place that seemed pretty legit. It was kind of pricey, but I figured, why not treat myself?

Next, I needed to figure out how to actually brew this stuff. I’m no tea expert, so I did what any normal person would do – I googled it. Found a bunch of different methods, but most of them seemed to agree on a few key things: water temperature and steeping time.

The Brewing Process

I made sure I had some decent tools before I began. Here is my process.

• Heat the Water: Apparently, you don’t want boiling water for oolong. It should be around 185-195°F (85-90°C). I don’t have a fancy thermometer, so I just boiled the water and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
• Warm the Teapot: This is something I hadn’t really thought about before. I poured some hot water into my teapot, swirled it around, and then dumped it out. The idea is to get the pot nice and warm so it doesn’t shock the leaves.
• Measure the Leaves: The general rule seems to be about 1 teaspoon of leaves per cup of water. I eyeballed it, to be honest.
• Steep the Tea: I put the leaves in the warmed teapot, poured the hot water over them, and put the lid on. Now came the waiting game. Most sources said to steep for about 2-3 minutes for the first infusion.

After a couple of minutes, I poured the tea into my cup, leaving the leaves in the pot for later infusions. And wow, the color was this beautiful golden amber. It looked really inviting.

I took a sip, and honestly, it was pretty good! It had this light, floral aroma, and the taste was smooth, not bitter at all. There was a hint of sweetness, and maybe a little bit of a roasted flavor? It was definitely different from any black tea I’d ever had.

I ended up doing a few more infusions with the same leaves, and each time the flavor changed a little. The second infusion was a bit stronger, and the third was a little lighter. It was like a whole journey in a teapot!

All in all, I’d say my first experience with Japanese oolong was a success. It’s definitely something I’ll be drinking more of. It’s a nice change of pace from my usual routine, and it feels kind of fancy, you know? If you’re looking to try something new, I’d definitely recommend giving it a shot.