Thank you Leafhopper!
This is the kind of tea I like. I was saving it for a morning that I had time, and pretty much followed the same parameters with the 4-5 grams-the entire sample left using 120 ml, 195 F, 10, 12, 15, 18, then changed it fifteen. I debated if I would use my Manual Teamaker gaiwan because the leaves are on the smaller side, and were a little bit challenging to prevent from coming into my cup or leaving the gaiwan. Luckily I had a strainer, though I had to plop some leaves back into it.
The tea doesn’t change too much with each steep, but gets more bitter, tannic, and metallic towards the end. Initial steep was strong with blood orange, cinnamon, rose, and allspice with a little bit of a lavender tail end. Lavender notes ramp up after steep two and was consistent. The combo of lavender, malt, citrus, pine, spices, and dryness reminded me of some coffee flavor combos and mocktails I used to get. I enjoyed steep one and two the best because the immense florals and malt were balanced, and the unusual cinnamon spice taste set this one far apart other Fujian blacks I’ve had. It’s like a top end constant comment without needing actual spices.
The shorter last steep made a difference in backing off from the earth, malt, and metal leaning more into citrus lavender combo. I personally couldn’t make it past this one though because the bitterness and metallic taste started to become too much for me.
I’m thankful I got to try it, and while this is totally the kind of tea I’d have in my stash, I’m pretty content with what I got for now. The drying and metallic qualities hold me back from rating it a 90 overall.
Flavors: Allspice, Blood Orange, Butter, Cinnamon, Citrus, Drying, Earth, Lavender, Malt, Metallic, Pine, Rose, Smooth, Tannin
