I’ve been drinking through a bunch of old YS samples this weekend and this was the next tea up. The sample bag has been open (tied with rubber band) in my pumidor for seven months.
My first impression on sniffing the cup is that it smells a bit like cinnamon rolls. The taste is spicy, rich, and sweet, with lots of spice in the finish. Hints of raisins. Thick; feels almost chewy in the mouth. Feeling some cha qi. 2nd steep: the nose is still spicy. The cha qi from the first cup is really hitting me. Taste is similar to 1st cup but not exciting me as much, perhaps because I’m so anxious to taste it that I’m drinking it too hot. 3rd steep is much more integrated than the earlier steeps. Hard to describe the flavor, but it evokes baked goods, though with an apricot fruit hiding underneath. Very good texture and big finish. Lots of cha qi. Shows a slightly bitter astringency at the finish. 4th (30s): Now that I’m looking for it, I detect a hint of apricot in the nose. Taste is smoother and sweeter and the finish isn’t as astringent. The cha qi is powerful: I’m taking 20 minute breaks every two steeps to let it die down.
This is the type of tea that I prefer: slightly fruity, not bitter, with complex flavors. All three components (smell, taste, finish) work very well together and the texture is excellent.
After I posted this review I discovered a prior review from 7 months ago. I suspect the differences between the two reviews is at least partly due to the pumidor storage, which makes me feel good.
