70

(Gongfu) Beautiful looking leaves: mostly consistent size, shape, and twirl on each spiral “dragon”. Nicely fuzzy and soft to the touch—I caught myself petting one for a few seconds…~80C here on out.
Nose after the first rinse smelled savory rather than floral like I’d get out of other white teas: reminded me of blanched green beans/haricot vert or edamame. Early steeps yield a tea that is not as sweet as other white teas, and is more savory: this has a thick texture to it. Notes of mineral to it too (maybe like wet rocks), and a haricot vert taste upon first tasting, which gives way to a mineral/wet rock finish and slight astringency that arises a minute after swallowing. Long lasting finish primarily in the front of my mouth.
This is not a forgiving tea for a beginner like myself, I struggled with it until recently.. Brew with care (maybe something like 80C; rinse, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 20s, 25s) to avoid overwhelming delicate floral flavors with bitterness- even with the short steeping time, the thickness will come through.
Western style this tea is more forgiving: 80C 3 minutes—the low leaf:water ratio avoids bringing out as much bitterness

Flavors: Fruity, Green Beans, Mineral, Stems, Thick, Wet Rocks

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MD-PhD Student, new to gongfu brewing and serious tea tasting but excited to learn. My favorite kinds of tea are oolongs and both Chinese & Japanese greens.
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