There is a liminality– a transitioning in-betweenness much like the season – to the Autumn Oolongs that is expressed every bit as fiercely as the Autumn Blacks, except the flavors instead of delving deeper choose a planar- more expansive, more dispersive – dimension to express the ‘betwixt and betweenness’. It would be naïve to think of the planar expressions of Autumn Oolongs as a limitation – the fierce assertiveness of their flavors, only matched by the sheer vastness of planar references is anything but. The Autumn Coda – a befitting conclusion to the season’s ineffable wonder- is a thick, sweet and syrupy AV2 Oolong redolent with Olives and Mangoes. The translucent, yellow brew – thick and potion-like, laden with aroma of Apricots and honey – is soothing, deeply fulfilling-almost curative. There is a confounding Cool, Sweet, hard to describe ‘Spiciness’ to the taste, that is felt as an undercurrent to a complicated Floral- Fruity presence in the tea. Undeniable, Honey-soaked Woodiness, reminiscent of a slightly burnt but fragrant Sandalwood is further complicated by a floral dimension of Kewda and Rose-water. There is a freshness of Cool Vetiver mixed with Pineapple, Mango-like fruitiness – a tanginess more associated with a B157 than an AV2 – that is present even in the aftertaste. Like we said – “It’s full of ineffable wonder. A befitting coda to Autumn.”
