2004 CNNP (?) 8582
Yee-on Tea
7.4g, 100mL gaiwan, Brita filtered tap, boiling
This came as a free sample with my order from Yee-on. Like everyone else, I also received a sample with a fair amount of white frost lol. I would’ve waited for it to rest, and rehydrated
or whatever, but I didn’t want any chance of having anything spread to my other samples so I let it sit a few days with the bag open to air out and brewed today, so we’ll see if
that’s affected anything.
Dry leaf smelled strongly of basement storage when I got it but the dryness/low RH here seems to have taken it out. Not much dry leaf aroma left
2x 15s rinse, with 1 min. wait in btwn
Wet leaf has a woody camphorous (maybe?) aroma. Slight spice and pepper in a cooling way
10s: lightly woody and grainy (in a way reminiscent of glutinous rice) with slight sweet undertones. Something about it feels sticky, though texture is not thickened too much
(though given my water source, good texture is rather rare and most teas turn out pretty thin)
12s: similar but sweeter. Very easy drinking
20s: smelled the wet leaves. Yee-on notes dates in the aroma and I’m inclined to agree, though again this is something I wouldn’t have necessarily picked up on myself.
It’s somewhat subtle, mixed in with the woodier base, but definitely present. Taste is basically same as before, sort of muted, but comforting.
2x 30s, 35s, 45s, 1 min., 1 min. 30s, 2 min., 3 min., 4 min., 5
min., 10 min.: woody medicinal and dates. Dates is no longer subtle like before. I’d probably have eventually picked up on it, or so I tell myself. Still the grainy glutinous rice taste as well. Very comforting. HK storage seems to have tamped it into something that’s not changing much from steep to steep (woodiness fades into background more and more as date-tinged sweetness comes forth), but is very easy drinking. Moved to thermos after lightening.
Overall: Not sure on qi. Maybe slight calming? Probably not something that will knock your socks off with excitement, but comforting in that old friend, hug in a mug sort of way. I enjoyed this sample, but am unlikely to purchase a cake. It’s not super expensive necessarily (but also just above what I’d consider daily drinker level cheap, especially as I’ve started to leaf heavier), and someone has to pay the HK rent prices, alas, but there’s shou below this price point that brings me a similar level of joy or utility or whatever
