Returning to this standard Dragon Well tea, now nearing 8 years in my tea cupboard, and today brewing as directed by the label: western style, 2g leaf in 8oz 175°F spring water (yes, I used a thermometer) for 2.5 min in a stainless micropore infusion basket. The first steeping produced a pale yellow liquor with the lovely umami/nutty fragrance we associate with Long Jing. (The wet leaf had not yet fully expanded, so I know it has more to give.) The flavor was a smooth floral mouthful of mineral and umami, filling the sinuses with a long-lingering aroma, as the flavors also lingered on the tongue. In the second infusion, the now relaxed olive-green leaf burst forth with floral fragrance and flavor in a golden broth that was both slightly bitter (in a good way) and astringent, as expected in a green tea. The umami nuttiness was intensified here and the aroma distinctive. As I continued to sip the cooling tea, it remained almost chewy in nature, and I got hints of sweetness. Flavors remained on the tongue for several minutes and this is a tea worthy of the time spent preparing it! I wished I was sipping with a friend this morning, as conversation would have elicited further enjoyment of the flavor and aroma on the palate. Long Jing is my favorite green tea. I hope you get to soon enjoy some!
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Floral, Mineral, Nutty, Sweet, Umami
