Take two.
Being the scientific type and a huge advocate of precision, I … changed every variable at once. :D Less tea (maybe .75 tsp instead of 1, but Steepster won’t let me submit .75), more water, lower temperature, shorter steep. And yay, so much better! This time, the violet candy fragrance I detected in the dry leaf was absent. Nothing in the leaf’s changed since yesterday, so I’m going to chalk it up to wishful thinking on my part. The best thing is that the brew tasted floral, not soapy. As it cooled, I could swear a bit of the violet candy vibe came back. After yesterday’s experience, though, I didn’t let it cool much, and successfully avoided the bitterness and the astringency.
Oof, the bouquet is very strong in this one. The flavour even lingers quite a bit, which is also something I’m not used to with greens. Another thing I noticed is that the vegetal greenness I noticed yesterday was absent today; instead, the base served to brighten the other flavours.
This isn’t an everyday cup for me, but I reckon it’d be really nice to have on occasion. I’ve still got some left—maybe cold, next time? I feel comfortable rating it this time, and the more I nyum-nyum, the more I appreciate that it’s trying something different.
I’d still call it the Lavender Duke, though.
Flavors: Lavender, Violet
Glad the tweaks improved it for you!