It is actually 14 years old. From Derk. Thank you, it was lovely!
I wasn’t sure how much leaf I should use. I took all from derk, 6 grams per my gaiwan of 85 ml. Maybe too strong, huh.
But it wasn’t! It brought wonderful tastes as: ash (it was somehow nice), indeed bit alkaline as derk suggests, but as well fruity ones: stonefruits and mostly red fruits – I would say raspberry, but mostly just their seeds.
I am impressed, as I have expected some really odd flavour profile, but instead it is certainly nice one. It is roasted, bit smoky, but all mellowed with sweet fruit notes I wrote earlier about.
I wasn’t precise with brewing, just I have done a quick rinse, let the humidity enter the leaves (I had to put clothes on drying racks), then steeps which started like 10 seconds long, but they become longer and longer, by 10 seconds each I guess. And while drinking fourth – I just let the next ones steeped for some, unspecific, time frame. It was 60-120 seconds, just when I thought it is enough, I finished that steep.
All were great, but I think that around third one was greatest, those mineral, ash, roasty notes were faint, berry notes were strong as well the stonefruits.
I don’t know how to rate it. Nice one, interesting one, tasty one. Some off notes for me there, mostly first sips were really ashy (even though in lovely way), so not 100 from me, but I guess 89 will be for this tea good rating.
Flavors: Ash, Mineral, Raspberry, Roasted, Stonefruit
