The Final Sipdown: Day 6
Decupboarding Total: 11
I had the steep time of Royal Phoenix Oolong stuck in my head so I might have massively underbrewed this. Oopsies. But I did end up going a little heavy on the leaf (just so I wouldn’t have to make a 4oz cup of this later today to finish this off) and I’m sure that helped things because this tea is really fantastic. It’s sweet and mildly grapey. There’s no astringency but a lot of sweetness, almost like the sweet/tart balance in a frozen grape more than a fresh one.
Unlike before, I’m not getting woodsy or honey but I am getting nectar. Grapey nectar. It’s pretty awesome. And gorgeous. As it cools, there’s a tiny tingle of astringency on the tip of my tongue and the frozen grape flavor begins to step back and the soft nectar flavor steps up. A little solid tasting something comes in, something like sweet bread? It’s fairly faint but adds a nice base note to balance the pretty.
I’m giving this last cup (yay for decupboarding!) a little points bump because this is now officially a tea I would pick up and park in my pantry. It’s a beautiful cup.
8.2g/12oz
Yay for that! Definitely going to try these parameters, because this sounds deeeelicious.
It totally was! The second steep had a good bit more astringency and more of the ‘normal’ flavors but that first steep was accidental awesomeness.