Another from the Big Box o’ Yunnan Sourcing courtesy of boychik! :)
Long, golden leaves steep up to a leathery, fruity, savory yet somewhat sweetish brew that smells like smoke but doesn’t really taste much of it.
30 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min all pretty much the same. Lighter flavors, sweeter, lighter color. 2 min, 3 min yields darker liquid with some bitterness and dryness. I think the sweet spot for me would be between 1 and 2 minutes. Enough time to get some depth but not so much that it turns more bitter than I like. Always possible I used too much leaf, as well.
Overall, while this was fine, I prefer Mandala’s Golden Strand.
:)