Medium length note…hopefully.
I got some of my Tillerman Targets for my birthday. I’ve had 35% oxidized and Fenghuang Village Dong Dings before and frickin’ love them, and needed to have some even if it was just a sample. I hesitated getting this one because it was a woppin’ $13 for 1/2 oz….yikes, but I know I’d enjoy it. The free shipping in the U.S. and the price of the other teas made me decide yes since I only got samples.
I will be honest and kinda messed up the brews. I used close to 3-4 grams in 5 oz and brewed it western to save some leave due to how pricy it is. Thankfully, the tea was still forgiving after about 3 minutes in steep one. Most of the flavor was absorbed in this cup. The aroma was fairly subtle with all the usual notes you’d expect from a high mountain, but the flavor leans more into nuts and with some slight fruits. Steep one began with the macademia note, transitions into coconut, butter, lightly cooked fresh vegetables, and then into a weird floral fruity mix of peach and cream creating an interesting sensation on the roof of my mouth, coating my sinuses.
I haven’t had sinusy tea in a while, so this was a treat. The remaining steeps were improvised increments of 30 seconds, increasing the steeping time and increasing some lemongrass and curd in the later steeps. It only lasted about 6 cups before it got to generic.
So while this tea fits every parameter I like hitting the flexibility of a tea you can be kinda neglectful and still be good, I’m not going to rate it yet. I need to do it gong fu before I decide. I definitely like it, but I’ve had some traditionally oxidised Dong Ding that I’ve liked equally for cheaper. Price and longevity are the biggest things bugging me about it.
I hope that Gong Fu blows me away. Unfortunately, higher unroasted Dong Dings have been harder to come by than they used to be and some of the Dong Dings I’ve had for the last three years haven’t matched the 2014 and 2015 seasons I’ve had. To think about it, I think I’ve had tea from this producer before….This tea does match those, but I wonder if the fact that the practice has been fading is the reason why the tea has become more expensive. Though I could be totally wrong. I’d be happy to have some knowledge drops in the comments.
