Spring 2022 harvest
A delicious green tea. I’ve been western steeping it during the work day and having several bowls worth during evening classes.
It presents quite different than other Lu Shan Yun Wu I’ve tried. Darker and more humid, almost dank, but to my tastes, this character is not a flaw since it is well balanced by other characteristics.
The combination of the vegetal tone and gentle bitterness of this tea is most like asparagus, brussels sprouts, rutabaga and zucchini roasted on a metal pan. More aptly, the impression much less dense in flavor, is like the juices collected from these roasted vegetables but with a restrained pungency and no distinct char/roasty notes. There is also a mild and welcome umami that is similar to a few pieces of kombu floated in a clear fish broth. Now imagine this profile among the slippery rocks at the bottom of a humid, almost dank, forested gorge on a chilly day.
A few stands of saffron brewed with the leaves turns this into a mellow broth that rejuvenates and calms. Green yellow red, leaf liquor spice — a pleasing observation in the tea bowl.
Flavors: Alcohol, Asparagus, Bread Dough, Brussels Sprouts, Fish Broth, Guava, Pungent, Savory, Seaweed, Tangy, Vegetal, Viscous, Wet Moss, Wet Rocks, Zucchini
