I didn’t rinse this because it looked so clean (famous last words, lol). When I tasted the first ~30sec steep, I was struck by a vanilla-floral note that I haven’t yet tasted in a sheng. It was gone after that first infusion, but it was delicious and pungent. Following steeps are fairly straightforward apricot/sweet/astringent, but the balance is such that it just feels of a higher quality than some I’ve been sampling lately. The apricot is pronounced, the sweetness lingers, the astringency dances and cools. Barely-whispers of floral and camphor. Mouthfeel is thick and coating, just lovely. Orange liquor. Minimal bitterness. Mild cha qi. I’ll try my next session in a clay pot. If I were ready to start aging cakes, I’d consider this one… I’m interested to see where it goes from here.
I’ve really been impressed with Teavivre so far, I gotta say.
Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Floral, Sweet, Vanilla
