Thanks again, Garret, for the sample!
This mao cha has a heavy smell of smoke, or smoked meat. After a rinse there are some green vegetal notes coming through in the aroma and still a good amount of smokey smell.
The taste of the first infusion is a bit light, a bit of a tart fruit like flavor, reminds me of the smell of hedge apples or the taste of an underripe pear.
By the second infusion, the leaves have released some sweet citrus aromas and a bit of floral. This cup tastes more buttery and citrusy, and smells a little smokey still. As the tea cools there are hints of anise and pepper in the flavor.
The third infusion has a sort of alcohol taste in the aftertaste. I can’t decide if it’s like having a dry white wine or more like hops in a beer, but it’s one of those. There’s still a bit of smokiness as well.
The fourth infusion is a little creamy with wood notes and smoke.
Overall, this tea has a lot of changes from one infusion to the next. It isn’t really the type of flavor spectrum that I seek out, but it’s an interesting tea nonetheless. It seems like one that might age well.
Flavors: Citrus, Creamy, Pepper, Smoke, White Wine, Wood
i liked this one a lot
Ooh, sounds lovely. I love me some smoky sheng.
Yep +1 on the smoky. I don’t mind it when its not smacking you in the face but subtle smoke.