This is a great tea! The smokey caramel aromas after steeping fill the air and give a very comforting sensation. After a quick wash, the early steeps have a mildly smokey and roasted character with caramel flavors. There is a very mild bitterness and slight astringency that seems to coat the tongue with a floral sweetness that lingers after swallowing. Exhaling fills the senses with a floral honey. I can see why this tea is award winning. As the leaves open up, the smokiness fades and the tea starts to become similar to a Taiwanese high mountain oolong with less grassy notes and not as overwhelmingly floral. I think eco-cha’s description is spot on.
I started with a 10 second steep, then 15, 20, then up to 45 seconds.
Flavors: Astringent, Caramel, Floral, Pecan, Roasted, Roasted Nuts, Smoke, Sweet
