Getting close to the last of my 5g Verdant samples! First ever Chun Lan. Spring 2017 harvest. 5g, 100mL gaiwan, 205-212F, short rinse followed by 9 steeps at 7s/10/12/15/20/25/35/whoops#1/whoops#2
Dry leaf is very fragrant, tough to pick out scents beyond the roast which was not overwhelming. Warmed leaf smelled strongly up front of amber and orchid with chocolate in the background. Rinsed leaf aroma was geranium, orchid and warm dark wood.
This tea started off strong, quickly! The liquor was fragrant. The taste was very floral, of which I often have difficulty identifying different types. What I did pick up on was geranium (thanks to Verdant’s notes), amber, warm dark wood, orchid, mineral and a light roast which disappeared after the first steep. It was rather bright tasting like an orange and remained so despite the flavors fading slightly after about the third steep. There was a pleasant fruity and floral aftertaste and a persistent sugarcane sweetness in the back of the mouth showing up around the fourth steep but I don’t recall it lasting into the end of the session. Oversteeping in the end gave surprisingly tasty cups. The tea remained brothy throughout, thickening up midway then thinning slightly. A light astringency was present from the beginning and built up over the course of the session. Some light bitterness showed up here and there.
This tea seemed pretty balanced despite my inability to identify a lot of what was going on. It was floral, bright and fruity, warm with amber, woody and had a slight vegetal undertone. It possessed a good mouthfeel, fleeting bitterness, a light aftertaste, some returning sweetness and good longevity, but the growing astringency kind of detracted from the experience. Despite the astringency, I’m impressed with this Chun Lan. I see it’s currently on sale and I think the price warrants giving it a try, especially if you’re looking for a bright and warm floral-forward yancha.
