I couldn’t resist the chance to try this tea and ordered a sample. The dry leaves smell deeply green, with that peculiar ‘Dragonwell’ aroma. I’ve only ever had one other Dragonwell, and I was interested to see if they had the same aroma. They share characteristics, but this tea is definitely has more depth. It’s also probable that it’s fresher.
I’m trying to brew this the recommended Dragonwell way with a glass tumbler. To keep from eating leaves I’ve resorted to using a large spoon to hold the leaves back as I sip. I’m still managing to sip in a few but so far this working much better than without. And this tea is WONDERFUL. It blows the other Dragonwell I’d had out of the water.
I finally strained the tea into another cup, leaving leaves in a little water in the tumbler. It was taking me so long to sip through the leaves that the tea was getting a bit bitter. Once I added more water and strained it though, the sweetness came out more. I’m using filtered water but I think next time I may make sure I have spring water on hand, and see how much of a difference it makes. I also want to try this western style, without as much leaf.
This tea is really good!
175 °F / 79 °C
