2/15/2017 morning gaiwan 8g/212F/4oz? 10-15 second steeps
Another sample from YS that has lived in my tea cabinet for over a year. 1 rinse was all it needed for the chunk to start loosening up, and it was a very clean rinse.
1 – placid sheng sharpness – mellow and non-descript
2 – Calling it mellow pissed it off — intensely bitter and resinous.
3 – lower temp water, 10 second steep – still very sharp. Resinous/herbal – the wet leaf smells of oregano. Suddenly astringent and mouth filling.
4 – full temp water, 5 second steep – less astringent. Tobacco and lemon balm.
Still drinking. Will add further notes later.
The astringency continues – behind it the taste lightened up, and became almost fruit – apricot and pine, and that wet pine forest floor aroma.
This is not a friendly tea, but one that begs exploration, and experimentation – I have to add a few cakes of this to my next YS order — I think it’s going to wicked good in a few more years.
Storage notes – 25g sample from YS, I got it in 2015, and it’s been stored in its loose sample packet in my tea cabinet. Lots of air circulation, drier rather than humid, warm room temperature.
I think it says something about this tea that it makes feel I need to make a note of the storage conditions.
