From the Unflavored TTB
The box just arrived and I’m anxious to try some tea, but it’s 4 PM. Pai Mu Tan isn’t supposed to have too much caffeine, so I’ll take my chances.
The nose is really rich. My first thought was melon, but it then tasted more fruity I thought of honeysuckle, but I think pear comes closest. The taste is sweet; a bit simpler than the nose, but continues the flavors, with an additional dusty character. The finish is good, but doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the nose. There were no disagreeable elements; the flavors worked well together in a nice, smooth cup.
Overall, this is a very fine tea. To my mind, the aroma is the best part of the tea, but the taste and finish are also very good. I lingered over my first cup and while the aroma remained excellent, the taste seemed to fade a bit as the tea cooled. Still good, but no longer excellent.
Resisting the temptation to rush to another tea, and mindful of the impact of too much caffeine on the odds of my getting a decent night’s sleep, I tried a re-steep (also 3 minutes). The aroma is similar to before, but weaker. The taste and finish in the re-steep initially seemed much simpler than before: basic white tea; good, but not in the same league as the first steep. However, as the tea cooled (and I took bigger sips) it opened up into a very good tea.
