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idk.. starts really nice, veryy promising wet leaf, dark raisins and forest extreme lovely, first infusions are decent but give way to basically a generic smooth red tea flavor. dies incredibly quick for an oolong & doesn’t have much of anything to say as it unfolds. kind kf a whiplash really, it started so promising but rather than opening up it just collapsed.

i rinsed and im just sitting here smelling the wet leaves for like 5 minutes straight…theyre real chatty my goodness..im still getting myself in the headspace of tasting notes but im wildly excited about this. just poured it off and its smooth and lovely with a well defined structure. exhaling oolong minerality after swallowing. touch of tangy juiciness at the back of the sip. it’s warm and focused and focusing

first infusion was 5g 99c for roughly 20 seconds starting from when i began to pour, so around 15 with lid on

second infusion maybe 27 seconds? pretty even with the first, though i can see the leaves opening much more now. going to post this and maybe return later

edit: hi its 11pm this thing will not die ive taken it all the way to a 10 minute steep, somewhere between 8 and 12 infusions.. just incredibly smooth and subtle roasty toasty notes very lovely even after losing all structure and most flavors theres still just enough to intrigue me into seeing what happens if i fill up the gaiwan 1 more time :)

wet leaves sweet potato and corn fields

i cant say i have a particularly strong sense memory of wet hay but thats a vibe for sure.. corn mazes, the smell in the air after shaving pumpkin skin

working thru this. huge first infusion… dark berries???

look im a simple bitch its an easy tea i love this stuff

enjoying my first long jing. wet leaf gives me baked kale chips and spinach

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first impression: exciting smells followed by bitter (and smokey) disappointment in the cup. very temperamental tea if you’re totally clueless about taming it as i am\was. short answer: HOT water SHORT SHORT infusions.

second real attempt im starting to see it more clearly. 6oz in a 150ml gaiwan, using maybe 115 of that space or maybe only 100. HOT water, 5 second steep. literally waiting 1 long beat between pouring and decanting. my mouth is no longer full of smoke but a complex if still challenging roasted dan cong that im still working thru. update later.

edit: ive tried it again and while i can keep the smoke out im not sure if there’s much there thats enjoyable to replace it. going to have to put it away for a while because its making me sad