This tea has a beautiful yellow color liquor, smells of pollenating flowers, and the empty cup has the sweetest aroma. I could. not. stop. huffing the empty cup!
1st steeping – very floral and honeyed, no bitterness or astringency
2nd steeping – very floral, slight astringency at the end; aroma of the wet leaves in the gaiwan isn’t very appealing at all but there is something about the aroma inside the lid and of the liquor… it takes me back to being in my dad’s pollen sheds although not as strong a smell as those were – maybe his pollen sheds when nothing was in them. (Side note: my dad was, for lack of a better descriptor, a pollen collector. He harvested pollen, cleaned it, and sold it to pharmaceutical companies who then used it for meds. Hence the reference to my dad’s pollen sheds.) The empty cup has a mesmerizing caramel smell.
3rd/4th steepings – increasing astringency lasting after the sip, not unpleasant; cannot stop huffing the empty cup (was the most intoxicating after steeps 2/3)
7th steeping – astringency slightly increasing with each steep, leaving my mouth pleasantly numbed out; this tea is giving me happiness and a lingering sweetness at the top of my mouth and throat, can’t shake the nostaligic feeling the scent has given me; ordered 3 more cakes. :)
8th steeping – leaves rested about an hour since last steeping, flavor has died a little, maybe needed to steep longer?
9th steeping – full minute, still less flavorful but pleasant to sip; gave up on it for this round
Rinse/5/10/15/15/20/25/30/40/60
Flavors: Caramel, Floral, Honey
