Spring Peach

Gongfu!

Despite the irony of this tea’s name, this yancha was such a perfectly autumnal tasting tea. Dark, roasty, and mineral with such a pronounced flavour of grilled peaches. All full of char, and that tender but deep stonefruit sweetness. Maybe just a smidge brassy, but in a way that made me think of the array of oranges and reds that smatter the treeline on a perfect Autumn afternoon!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZqdSbOftK/?img_index=2

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd9q5z-QUjA

I think we’re due for another drop in temperature this week but I’m starting the new year with Spring Peach anyway. I think this is the last one I need to taste from last February’s yancha box. Between the first box getting lost in the mail and not drinking much tea over the summer, it’s taken me a while to get to it. As with the others, I’ve saved enough for a more structured session with the teeny gaiwan later.

Glass gongfu bottle thingie, didn’t weigh the tea leaves, filling the water side of the bottle about halfway (100-ish ml, I think?). Dry leaves just smell roasty to me. Wet leaves after the first steep have an unappealing burnt grassy smell when hot but start to smell more fruity as they cool…peach? Apricot? Pineapple? Brewed tea is more fruity when hot and the roast flavors come out more as it cools. This really makes me want some peach pie. Slightly too much water or too little time on the second steep, tastes a bit weak. Still getting the peachy flavors as a sort of aftertaste as I exhale after a sip, though. Curious if I would have picked out peach if it wasn’t in the name or if the suggestion really pushes me that direction. Can’t decide if I think it’s more fresh peach or baked/grilled/canned/something-ed peach…almost seems to alternate between but it’s been ages since I last had a peach or peach baked goods. The problem with drinking tea in the evening, especially on holidays, is that all my local bakeries are closed and I can’t make an “emergency” pie/donut/croissant run when the tea makes me crave something. I think I need some peach pie and a peach cobbler fritter to see which would go better with the tea. Third steep is stronger but seems rather astringent compared to the previous two. Perhaps not quite enough water this time? You wouldn’t think filling a bottle to the same level each time would be so difficult. Aftertaste is still sweet and syrupy, like I just took a drink of fruit juice. If the next steeps are dramatically different, I’ll come back and edit my note. Not sure it’s very productive for me to sit here daydreaming about pie and donuts while I try to think of more things to say about the tea.