I decided to review this one again because I was a pu’er rookie when I tried it the first time and I am a bit more prepared this time around…and I am going to spend much longer with it. I stopped at 2 minutes the last time.
1st Steep- 30 seconds
Starts out on just the right note. Has a very thick mouthfeel with a nice sweetness to it. Tastes like almonds. I think it was right the first time around when I compared the taste to Amaretti cookies because there is kind of a doughyness.
2nd Steep- 45 seconds
Not as doughy. Still sweet. Less almond though. A touch of fruit.
3rd Steep- 1 minute
Cherries with amaretto. Probably one of the best combinations in the world. I love this tea even more than the first time.
4th Steep- 1.30 seconds
Still cherries and amaretto but the almond is kind of fading. There is a creamy vanilla note on the finish.
5th to 10th Steep- 2-4 minutes
Varying degrees of vanilla. Sometimes it’s straight vanilla extract. Sometimes it’s vanilla bean steeped in heavy cream. And sometimes, it’s lemon and vanilla. Very good.
10th Steep-5 minutes
Vanilla and cinnamon. It’s a sweet cinnamon. Not spicy. Very mild flavored.
11th Steep-15 minutes
The flavor seems to be fading so I thought I’d blast it with one extra long steep. It tastes like cinnamon bark. Spicy this time.
I don’t quite know what it is with Golden Gong Ting. This experience was so different from my first time around. This one was more versatile. Doesn’t quite beat my Special Dark but it’s pretty darn close.
