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Received as a freebie with my order. Thanks Crimson Lotus!

This is a Damn Fine Fruity Fresh Sheng.

6.5g, 100mL, 205-212F, 10s rinse, 5s initial steep.

Dry leaf has light compression. Looks great and smells soft with fresh peach dusted with powdered sugar. The warmed leaf lets me know what I’m in for… super strong yellow peach (with a little bit of green bean). In taste, it reminds me of canned peaches with their steel can character. That moves into fresh apricot with more steel touch. Brews a nice golden honey color all the way with a little cloudiness early. Very smooth with some tang, a lively mineral effect with light salivation that lasts and light bittersweet in the back of the mouth. Some pepperiness comes in toward the end and a light astringency catches in the throat. The tastes gradually lighten with no major drop-offs. I wouldn’t say the liquor is sweet – it can actually be quite tart – but a long-lasting sweetness presents at the top back of my mouth.

The energy is pleasant, no craziness in any dimension, though my demeanor tended toward forgetfulness after the first few steeps. Like what might happen if you wander across a peach orchard and find yourself feasting on ripe fruit, lounging under a tree to escape the midday sun for some unknown amount of time, then suddenly realizing you had something to attend to. It reminds of something out of a C.S. Lewis book. Maybe like the Wood Between the Worlds in The Magician’s Nephew. As a result, I oversteeped here and there. The first gaffe was several minutes long and was strongly bittersweet and fruity. I adjusted the timing of the next steep based on liquor color and from there the tea played out over the course of 2 hours. This tea has a lot to give. As expected, the spent leaf is a mix of olive greens. I’m happy to report no gut rot, but I do have a pretty strong stomach.

I’m content :) I’d like to see the transformation. Gonna give it a few more months and try again with less leaf.