boiling, Brita filtered tap, 3.1g in 80 mL shibo, 20s steeps, 1,2, 3 (10s), 4 (10s), 5th (10s), 6,7,8, 9 – 16 (untimed)
initially, strong medicinal aspect underneath the hongcha malt. Nice floral sweet aftertaste.
some steeps have a sharp bitterness that is quick, but unpleasant. Another steep is soapy.
9 and 10 taste like soapy sugar water but in a pleasant way
11 brings back the sharpness. I don’t know what it is exactly but not pleasant
12 is back to sugar water.
13-15: all the same at this point. it’s like when you keep steeping green tea and it just tastes like vegetable water, except this is a tad sweet
16 was a bit drying. Finally done.
Maybe I’ll actually take the temperature down a notch next time, since I didn’t appear to listen to my own advice to brew with a lighter hand last time I took notes on this. This was okay, but certainly isn’t winning any competitions any time soon. I don’t know how people brew hwang cha, so maybe I’m evaluating it unfairly, I don’t know.
