A tea from derk, so a thank you is a must :)
I probably never had smoked white tea before, but I wanted something refreshing (re-building the compost in the afternoon), but hearty (as in the evening a rain shower came) and I wanted to drink something gongfu, if possible without splitting into two sessions. So, those 4.4 grams from California, sounded like a good fit.
It was probably a good fit, or I just liked a gongfu session after very long time, or I just liked a good and quality othodox tea after long term, I really don’t know; but I ended up fascinated and happy.
This tea is definitely more smoky than expected, but it still keeps their white tea flavours — cucumber with its skin, some gooseberry (I read sender’s note and I just have to agree); but also somehow woody and resinous. Liquid was thicker and with long mouthfeel, smoky, but without any ash or roughness on the tongue. Long aftertaste, covering throat with resin flavour and I can imagine drinking this tea somewhere in the middle of the forest with a campfire.
As I wrote, steeped gongfu with various lenght of steeps, starting with 5+ seconds, then some longer, back to shorter sessions. Probably 5 sessions or so. Mind calming.
Glad it hit the spot!