I got a box of this tea filled with tea bags that contain whole leaves. The bags they are in are pretty dense paper and allow very little room for the leaves to expand, so I’m planning to try this again in the future by opening the bag and steeping the leaves as though they were never contained (since they are definitely whole leaves).
The steeping time was longer than I usually would for a tea like this, but it was required with the bag containing the leaves. By the time the tea was ready for consumption, the leaves had expanded in the bag completely (as in, the bag was absolutely packed) but they clearly were not fully unfurled.
Despite this, I believe I steeped them long enough to achieve a decent infusion. The liquor is a very light hay color and the aroma is quite nice as well. It smells almost malty or oaty. The flavor is very mild, slightly roasted in flavor. There is almost no astringency at all and it is very smooth to drink. I think it will have a bit more flavor with the second round of steeping (despite the bag it’s in). So I’ll give it a shot as soon as I have the opportunity!
I also look forward to trying and logging again once I try it without the bag at all.
