Thank heavens my steeping was off from last time. I actually got a pretty strong caramel note with raw cocoa hidden in the tiniest of drops. I used fewer leaves and less water in my new Xiang Fu travel set. The pot makes SO much of a difference in brewing. Anyway, there will be a lot of back logging after this review. I recently took a midterm, wrote a paper, and now writing two more papers. I need the cha qi very, very badly. So, my orders from Berrylleb, Whispering Pines, Liquid Proust and my trade from Nichole will be the next few up. Expect around seven notes about the following eventually.
Back to this tea, I used two pinches of the leaves, not quite measuring them with accuracy. The pot I have also has a 6.5 ounce carrying capacity as it does not have a lid, and the cup in companion holds three to four sips. Petite indeed. Because I used less leaves and a Gong Fu specific tea pot, I was able to enjoy the Shui Xian so much more. I also admit that my ratings depend entirely too much on my volatile moods. This time, instead of a smoked up woody and leathery drink, I got something more nuanced, sweeter even, and complex. There is a slight floral scent now with the wood notes turning something closer to a roasted nut. Chestnut maybe? This was after a minute at most in steeping. I sipped it gradually, and the notes came in between 45 and 64 seconds. It also had a bit of a creaminess to it. Amanda, is this typical of Shui Xian’s or am I imagining it? Steep two, and even in the aroma, there’s a vanilla scent sneaking through. Sipped it, and it was even in the taste. It needs to brew a little bit longer. If only the water was a few degrees hotter.
There were even certain similarities to Whispering Pines Dark Roast Anxi Tie Guan Yin, though you could definitely tell them apart. I recently had that one today, and holy crap I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. I really want more of that now, but I’m spent! This is also really good. Glad to have the amount that I do. A single dunce in steeping makes a difference. And brewing darker oolongs lighter is a must for me.
Flavors: Caramel, Chestnut, Cocoa, Flowers, Roasted, Smoke, Sweet, Vanilla