I wasn’t certain what to do with this tea. The directions on the package definitely cause some confusion. First, the website mentions brewing at lower temps, but there’s no mention of this on the package. (Space, I know, but at least indicate there’s an option.) Being the rule follower that I am, well, except with reading the ending of books first, I went with the package instructions and, boy, do I regret it. (Lots of commas in that sentence.)
Dry tea smells really nice. Slightly toasty with a crisp scent.
Anyway, I followed the instructions on the packet. Boiling water rinse to “awaken the leaves” – yeah, they put it within quotation marks, too. Discard. Then steep with more boiling water. It started looking really dark, so instead of waiting the two to three minutes, I stopped at one. I’m really glad I did or it probably would have been undrinkable. It’s strong. It dries my mouth and makes my tongue feel picky. It tastes like boiled raisins mixed in vegetables. It’s not floral or sweet at all. It is interesting, though, and not as horrible as it sounds in description. There is complexity to it as well and I find myself still sipping. I think part of the disappointment is reading about a fabulous sounding tea, only to have it turn into boiled veggies. I really wish I had tried this at the lower temperature. It would be interesting to do a comparison.
Preparation
Comments
I tried a second steep to see if it improved at all, but it didn’t. It’s not bitter this time and the pickiness is gone, but it reminds me of something that someone who likes Yunnan Gold teas might like now. Now it’s more like roasted veggies than boiled ones. I brought the temp down, but the leaves were boiled the first time and can’t be undone.
That sounds terrible : (
I tried a second steep to see if it improved at all, but it didn’t. It’s not bitter this time and the pickiness is gone, but it reminds me of something that someone who likes Yunnan Gold teas might like now. Now it’s more like roasted veggies than boiled ones. I brought the temp down, but the leaves were boiled the first time and can’t be undone.