I’m tasting this thanks to a generous sample from the lovely Nicole. :)
Trying it gong fu style, in my glass gaiwan without the lid. I’ve figured out that I can actually use it lidless, just pouring carefully through a strainer into my cha hai. It might not be keeping the water quite as hot as one might want, but it seems to at least be doing the trick. I miiight have ordered a small ruyao gaiwan from White 2 Tea during my latest lapse into impulse tea-buying, lol. Anyway! 4g of tea in the 4oz gaiwan. Water in the 93-98 degree range. Steeps starting at about 10-15sec and then adding another 10-15 sec each time (counting in my head, so we’re not talking precision timing here). I didn’t bother with a rinse, just drank the first steeping and found it to be light and creamy.
This is very tasty! I’m getting a lot of warm fruity notes, like roasted plum and apricot, and a bit of caramel sweetness. Maybe a hint of the corn/sweet potato that I was actually expecting, and some definite maltiness and a slight astringency starting to develop in later steepings. This is very nice, but I’m not sure that it’s different enough from some of the teas I already own to make me want to buy more of it. Delighted to have had the chance to try it though! :)
Flavors: Caramel, Creamy, Malt, Stonefruit