Received as a generous sample from the proprietor. I believe this is the 2015 harvest, but no idea on the season.
Brewed in my porcelain Jingdezhen gaiwan with Los Angeles municipal tap water, boiled and allowed to cool to ~185ºF before steeping. One quick rinse.
8 steeps starting from 35 seconds and eventually working up to 2 minutes.
Pale amber-tinged liquor (difficult to assess color in my stoneware cup); moderate roast is central to the aroma in the cup, while slightly sour oxidization notes dominate the leaves. Wet stones, forest floor, black walnut, and faint raisin flavors emerge on the palate. Smooth, gentle mouth-feel, no tannins, and lacking any char or bite (the bake accentuates rather than overwhelms the underlying qualities of the cultivar). Decent longevity to the flavor, tapering off slowly and evenly over subsequent infusions.
Excellent quality leaves without a doubt, though I find my curiosity about their potential for aging/re-roasting almost surpasses my enjoyment of them in their current form – Tea Trekker and Floating Leaves appear to have very similar offerings at wide ranging price points, so I would shop around a bit before ordering larger quantities of this.
