2006 YQH Tianpin
7.1g, 100 mL gaiwan, 212f, complex syrup water
Dry leaf has a dark aged herbal mushroomy smell
17s rinse
Wet leaf smells of slight mint and dark fruity notes
8s: tart, fruity aspect, and a slight brothy aspect with slight medicinal bitterness. Heating and relaxing. Sweet light fruity juicy (almost pineapple like) aftertaste.
10s: more medicinal bitter with sweet aftertaste. Slight cooling in mouth.
12s: a spiced medicinal. Slight drying. Sweet aftertaste that moves slightly to throat.
18s: lighter than before, with a slight mint edged sweet aftertaste
25s: similar
45s: darker and stronger. Astringent. But overall nice. Seems like this might need to be pushed on steep timing either from the tea or the water (TDS was 75 when measured)
1 min.: general herbal medicinal profile. Complex syrup water probably at play, but light sweet aftertaste is lasting and pleasant.
1 min.: general aged mushroomy herbal taste
2 min.: stronger bitterness, slight astringency and itchy throat
3 min.: something like a stray cherry skin note amidst water. Not much taste otherwise.
5 min.: soft woody base. Will thermos remainder
Overall: seemed to be lacking in much qi for me. Not the most exciting tea to begin with, and a rather poor value proposition when $/g ($1.60 at time of writing) is taken into consideration.
