Well, I bought this last year and have just now gotten around to it. And I’m going to have to play around with it some more because I kept severely oversteeping it. Severely, though? Hard to say, since I did enjoy at least 3 pots’ worth that had been brewing for no less than 15 minutes each time.
The dry leaf has interesting aromas that are malty and fruity, waxed wood, redfruits, twigs. Sweet-syrupy. Bread dough, fermented camellia buds.
Warm has bourbon vanilla sugar notes w/massive red berry and yeasty bread dough notes, rosewood. Rinsed leaf brings more of an antique wood feeling, eucalyptus, port wine, raisins.
Overall vibe is —
Like the 2020 Ball Rolled Wild Oolong but without the intensity of feeling or sweetness. More mineral and antiquewoody like a Chinese pu’er. High oxididation (black tea) tastes such as malt and redfruits. Superficial bitterness, not the kind that penetrates but is like a sheer layer. I prefer feeling the bitterness rather than only tasting it. Does that make sense? It has that light astringency that is thirst-quenching.
Curious tea that has some good markers but lacks some punch? I hope Ketlee has set aside some of these Indian raw teas for aging and will re-release them in the years to come.
I have to try this brewed in a different vessel. I used my tiny duanni clay pot because I wasn’t sure if this tea was going to hijack my brain like the 2020 Ball Rolled Wild Oolong. It didn’t.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Bread Dough, Brown Sugar, Eucalyptus, Fruity, Malt, Mineral, Plum, Raisins, Red Fruits, Red Wine, Rosewood, Round, Sweet, Vanilla, Wet Wood, Wood, Woody, Yeasty
Drinkable at fifteen minutes is impressive, especially for sheng.
No kidding.
I think I still have a bit of this as maocha. Think I may grandpa it on a hike.