I started off by steeping this per the instructions at 120 degrees for 1 minute. I was surprised by the very balanced umami flavor. There was a slight astringent finish and a bitter vegetal taste. Grassy. Fresh bitter herbs.
The second infusion was at 190 degrees for 5 seconds. It was much smoother, with less grassy flavor and more mellow.
Hello everyone,
I’m a recent college grad just beginning my career. I love reading and spending time outdoors hiking, cycling, or just sitting in a hammock with a book.
I was first exposed to tea from my mother, who has been drinking a few types of green tea for ages. During high school and college I started to explore on my own and have become a tea enthusiast, trying everything I can get my hands on and drinking tea every day.
My favorite teas right now are Silver Needle and Bi Luo Chun. I’ve also been enjoying my explorations in pu-erh which started with some samples at a tea shop in San Francisco. I’m no where near knowledgable yet, but I enjoy learning about it. I have found I do not like sheng! Oh well…
Outside of Chinese teas I also love exploring Japanese green teas. I’m not as proficient yet, but I’m honing in my tasting abilities.
As far as non-caffeine stuff goes, I am a huge fan of all things rooibos. I go through red rooibos by the pound. I’m also a fan of mint, ginger, licorice, and chamomile.
I’m a math system so I have a pretty in depth rating system:
All categories are rated from 1-10 and multiplied by the factor listed to the left and tallied to get a rating out of 100 for Steepster.
0.5 – Dry Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Dry Leaf Smell
0.5 – Wet Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Wet Leaf Smell
0.5 – Liquor Appearance
3.5 – Aroma
3.5 – Taste
0.5 – Value (Is this taste, aroma, and overall experience worth the cost.)
