Ginseng Oolong

The hand-rolled ball shape is no joke — each little nugget takes its time opening up, so I get three solid steeps out of one spoonful. The fired, rolled flavor comes through smooth with a faint roasted edge.

I wasn't expecting the leaves to unfurl so slowly, but watching those tight little hand-rolled balls open up over three steeps was half the fun. Smooth, toasty oolong with barely any bitterness, and it keeps going for several cups.

The little hand-rolled balls are tight enough that they unfurl slowly over about four steepings, so I keep getting a different cup each time. You can tell the leaves were fired and rolled with real care — no dusty bits at the bottom of my gaiwan.