First time tasting this one, and I’ve been looking forward to it since I got it about 4-5 months ago. Dry leaves smell sweet and grassy, like hay that’s been sun-dried for a couple days. The leaves appear mostly intact, in small spheres.
The first steep, I realize my little gaiwan can’t hold 6 oz of water + 7 g of leaves. Oops. But I catch the scent of honey as I pour the gold liquor into my cup. The first few sips though, all I taste is a tinge of hay and some sweetness. It’s a light flavor and not heavy on the mouth, though I find it warming. The only other thing I noticed as I finish the cup is a slight tingling on the roof of my mouth.
Second steep at about ~15 sec. This time I don’t overfill my gaiwan, probably use about 4-5 oz of water. I catch a hint of caramel mixed in with the hay this time, and the leaves have opened up well. It’s creamier than the first cup and the taste, although still light, is more apparent.
Third steep (maybe ~20 sec)! I smell the honey more strongly now in this cup and I finally figured out how much water will fit (4 oz). The taste is a bit sweeter, but still not much different to it than the first cup that I notice.
Fourth steep (not sure on time… 30-45 sec?). Ah there’s the cream I was looking for, plus a hint of honey in the aftertaste. A longer wait of a few seconds after the sips gives a milky feeling in my mouth (if that makes sense).
Flavors: Cream, Floral, Grass, Hay, Honey, Sweet
