“What’s that flattened gold bag on the bottom shelf of the tea cabinet?? It’s the last 5g of Taiwanese tieguanyin that I bought some 6 years ago from BTTC! Let’s finish it off.” So I dumped the 5.25 g into the basket of my 16oz western-style teapot, poured in boiling alpine spring water, and let it steep for 6 minutes.
Labeled as “TIEGUANYIN Roasted Muzha, 2016” I believe it is the same product others have reviewed here, as several mention it being roasted, despite not having it in the title, and at present even the BTTC description doesn’t mention roasting. My first cupful was sooo flavorful! I cannot even begin to describe, but derk, eastkyguy, and others have done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this tea in their notes here. I enjoy the extended aftertaste, lack of bitterness, and smooth richness of the brew! While I’m not a fan of roasted tea, in this case the roastiness isn’t overpowering and adds a depth of rich umami to the tea, elevating the complexity. My second cupful was drawn from the pot after the leaves had continued soaking for 30 min and was WAY overpowering, with an edge of bitterness and a landslide of mineral flavor. I rescued it by adding a half volume of fresh water, and continued sipping with pleasure. Later this rainy, gloomy day I will steep some authentic, non-roasted tieguanyin for comparison!
Flavors: Floral, Mineral, Roasty, Smooth, Umami, Vegetal
