Arunachal Handmade Black Tea

Derk well, actually I forgot about this tea and requesting getting a sample! Thank you that you saved a bit for me, worth two sessions!

This note is about gongfu steeping — 3g/125ml/90°C. Steepings as vendor suggests — 25 seconds and 5 seconds increments.
Preheated gaiwan and leaves in. No rinse. Vanilla wafers indeed are here, a little of the chocolate as well, some rose floral notes.

1st steep
Aroma of wet leaves leave me impressed with notes of vanilla wafers, citrusy notes, some florals (again the rose), some hay and meadow notes. Flavours are somehow sweet-floral, citrusy (a bit pomelo-like), meadow and hay. Expected stronger notes though, considering quite long first steep. Wafers are in flavour as a backbone for the other notes. They’re noticeable if you keep the tea in the mouth for a little while and on the tip of tongue only.

2nd steep
Requested flavour profile (yes, the wafers) is more distinctive in this steep, along with stronger meadow/floral notes. It’s quite distinctly rose-y for me, but without the peppery note. Also the vanilla filling of wafers moved towards (milk) chocolate a little bit. Long mouthfeel with some creeping astringency. End of the cup was pleasantly sweet.

3rd steep
Nice and sweet steep. Somewhere between chocolate filled wafers and meadow scent in hot summer day. As it cools down, it’s more of the florals here and some chrysanthemum flowers are here.

4th steep
It goeds into floral spectrum → noticed chrysanthemum and rose, with long mouthfeel, thick feeling and little astringency.

5th steep
Chrysanthemum notes with astringency, sadly nothing much else. Also, weirdly short mouthfeel and watery feeling compared to previous steep.

6th steep
I am afraid this tea is finished as it is just plain and astringent somehow.

Derk definitely this tea is very interesting, but sadly the unique and interesting flavours doesn’t last long. I am happy that I could try it though and who knows, once I get some tea from this area that would last longer. The remaining amount I will keep for western steeping.

Finished this off as western-steeped work brews. Rather astringent-tannic in the mouth and body this way, not soft as when prepared with higher leaf:water and lower temp, but with deeper flavor and still a very pleasant aroma. A mix of hazelnut and cocoa wafers (like those Loacker Quadratini or maybe their drier, larger ones), a big peachy midtone, chili leaf and hot hay. I feel this tea’s strength in my muscles, gets them revving. Interesting juxtaposition to the aromas and tastes. I’d consider purchasing this one again.

A little bit will be coming your way, Martin.