Finally got around to trying this one today. As far as first impressions go, the dry leaf is in itself a pretty amazing thing. There are whole sugared violets (which are huge!), cubes of dried apricot, and a base of bai mu dan , which is impressive both for the size and length of its leaves, and the predominance of silver tips. It’s also still fairly green, unlike some white teas I’ve tried in the past! I used 1.5 tsp of leaf for my cup (measuring was a challenge…), and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to 175 degrees.
The small surprise is the blue/purple colour of the liquor once brewed. I guess I should have expected it, with the violet in there, but somehow I didn’t. As a Prince tribute, it’s a nice touch. To taste, the initial flavour is sweet violet – reminiscent, to me, of parma violets only slightly less perfumey. The mid-sip is almost exclusively apricot, also sweet, but not overpoweringly so. It’s refreshingly fruity after the initial hit of floral violet. The end of the sip combines the two flavours in a gradual fade out. They’re both fairly delicate to begin with, but clearly identifiable. It is possible to taste the base tea underneath the flavouring just at the end of the sip, and that, too, is delicate and mildly floral, with the “sugar water” vibe that white tea can often have, although I suspect this may have been helped a little by the dissolved sugared violet. It’s definitely not a blend that would require additional sugar, unless you like your tea super, super sweet.
I’m enjoying this one as much as I hoped I would back when it was first announced. It’s a fitting tribute, and tasty to boot!
