Backlog from earlier this evening.
I finally opened up my tin of this! I just didn’t have the time for this one before. As I’m finding typical for Nina’s teas, this smells absolutely heavenly when dry – fruity and slightly floral, even candylike. The raspberry is definitely the most prominent flavour here.
Also as I’m finding typical for Nina’s teas, this doesn’t come with any steeping instructions. Sigh. I went with 1.5 tsp for 8 oz at a temperature of 75°C and a 2-minute steep. In the end, this tea was a lovely yellowish green, mostly clear but slightly cloudy. There was some dust at the bottom of the cup.
Brewed, the scent is very similar: fragrant and fruity, with the raspberrry still dominant. However, alas: the base tea itself tastes somewhat musty! This definitely tastes like a Chinese green, (perhaps Chun Mee?) and I can see why this melds well with the fruit flavours, but I’m not a fan of the base itself. It’s not bitter or astringent, though.
I’m finding that Nina’s teas are rather finicky. The smell is worth it, though – I will figure out how to make this tea work, as I’m rather fond of red-fruit greens.
