I allowed myself to be talked into some rather pricey yellow tea on my last shopping extravaganza — no branding, no name; it was one that the owner of TeaMaze had encountered at an expo over the summer and she had not yet put on her shelves.
Y’all know that I am a sloppy steeper; I don’t own a gaiwan (don’t judge :) and sometimes even grandpa style is a little too much work for me. I just want to throw and go. And this whatever-it-is variety has cheerfully taken whatever abuse I have thrown at it so far.
With conventional green tea parameters, it is lightly buttery—like buttermilk biscuits with a hint of honey. Second steep, same leaves, longer steep time, the buttered greens flavor intensifies a bit, and the texture is like heavy satin. And when I couldn’t stand to waste the rest of the pot and poured it in a tumbler to refrigerate overnight, it turned a beautiful golden brunette color with that same silky biscuit-y texture.
So, experts … tell me what I need to know about yellow tea. Other prep recommendations?
I had only once yellow tea and prepared it in gaiwan. It picked up some fruity notes, as I recall.