Arbor Mist

I’ve recently braved a trip into sheng and when Brenden, that wily tea hobbit put this up for sale the same day as The Jabberwocky, I knew I had to get it.

I’m so glad I did.

Miso is right, and sweet. And cashews.

Wow.

I’m not getting lime, which disappoints me, but i seem to be missing out of some of these flavors that Brenden tells me are in the tea, when I get others so clearly.

But anyway, this tea is good.

I didn’t follow his instructions, but made up my own, lots of short infusions.

And I’m listening to Oneohtrix Point Never today, too, after apt told me I’d really missed out at the NIN/Soundgarden show. Yep. I’m loving it. It seems to go really well with this tea. I’m definitely in a hello of a mellow state. (Although I can tell I’m pretty caffeinated, too. But I find that very calming.)

And while crazy things are happening at work, I’m giving people the answers they need to get things moving again, and somehow I’m finding time to tell the Wellness Coordinator that she needs to get us all tea (thanks Andrew!), buy more tea on sale, and keep refilling the cup. And I’m not even angry that one of my co-workers made the same stupid mistake three different times. Normally, this would have me fuming.

So yeah, I guess it’s this cha qi that Brenden talks about. I’m tranquil. I’m focused. I’m relaxed. I’m on top of everything.

And it’s all good. The tea, the energy, the day. It’s all good.

This tea is…whoa…it’s, wow, um, just really remarkable stuff. From the first sip it… no wait, first I sniffed the wet leaves and, what IS that lovely scent? I can’t quite place it. Wait, is that…miso? Whooooa, what’s THAT doing in my cup of tea?

I followed Whispering Pines’ suggested brew: 1 tbsp/8 ounces/190ºF for 3 minutes/5 minutes/8 minutes. There was cedar, there was honey, there was nut of some kind (cashews? pecans?). And I gotta tell you, this gave me quite a lift (which is just what I needed coming home from a long day of work). I didn’t notice additional tastes coming out at each steep, but they didn’t really go away either. Good, as they say, to the last drop. Yup, glad I got an ounce of this. It’s going to be a regular brew.

Method:
2TB/10oz
Rinse: 20sec
First steep: 45sec
Second steep: 50sec
Third steep: 55sec
Fourth steep: 55sec
Fifth steep: 1min 05sec

I wish I could tell you what temperature the water was. I use an Adagio UtiliTEA to heat water and I don’t have a thermometer. I did the touch test for temp: I dipped my finger in and pulled it away quickly. It registered as “hot” for a moment, but not enough to burn. It’s the temp I use for green teas.

1. Herbaceous aroma and taste at the tip of the tongue. There is a slightly tangy flavor that I can’t place as a fruit. Not quite bitter, but tangy. There are woodsy notes too. Like fresh wood and forest. Each sip finishes creamy, sweet, and floral…similar to a tieguanyin. There is a buttery mouthfeel that’s more texture than flavor. It actually reminds me of a very light cheesecake, or whipped topping.

2. Now THIS infusion says “tangy lime” to me! It is slightly tart, with just a touch of bitterness that makes me think of lime zest. There is a spice quality that I can’t put my finger on. Oh, that frustrates me. It’s an herbaceous, plant-like spice that I’ve noticed in other shengs. Particularly Mandala’s Wild Monk. The creamy, floral finish coupled with the tangy lime flavor makes me think of key lime pie! I’m just missing the graham cracker crust.

3. Very similar to the second. Begins with tanginess and bitter lemon/lime zest. A very leafy, plant-like flavor too. I seem to be catching notes of aloe/eucalyptus. It’s a green freshness. Not as potent as the notes I was catching in the Jabber though. I hope I’m not reading it wrong, because eucalyptus is still a flavor that’s new to my palate. Finish is long: floral, cream, dairy.

4. Compared to previous steeps the fourth is soooo smoothed out. There is absolutely no bitterness. The tangy lime/citrus flavor has dissipated as well. It’s sweet, with notes of honey and melon. Unripe melon. Honeydew! There’s a hint of pine. It could be cedar, I admit, but it’s most certainly an evergreen. It feels juicy in a way that makes my mouth water. Again, cream in the finish.

5. This one is floral and fresh, sweet like honeysuckle. The melon flavor is still present—ripe, not unripe. Long finish with butter and cream. Buttery both in taste and texture this time! This steep has notes of hay like a white tea. Not quite grain, but hay, yes. Creaminess that coats your mouth.

Overall an interesting experience. I would like to see how this tea ages with time. I imagine the first few steeps wouldn’t be so rough. I drank this yesterday and threw the leaves into a jar of water to cold-steep overnight. Today it’s very leafy and fresh with faint notes of honeysuckle and cream. I didn’t catch all of the flavors that were described, but then, I don’t know what “camphor” or “oakmoss” taste like. It was definitely very green, as shengs tend to be. There were indefinable undertones of evergreen spice. Flavors that I have a hard time putting into words!

I’m excited to see what other people think of this one. (:

I’m a tea newbie, and this was my first wild-picked sheng to try.
I feel very unqualified to judge here, as I’m still getting used to the taste in general.
Brewing as directed on the package made the tea extremely bitter for me. Next I tried pseudo- gongfu with my ingenuitea with 10 sec rinse followed by 30 sec steep. There was still a bit of bitterness, so I’m thinking a 5 sec max steep would work. I’m not giving up on this tea!!