First time brewing gyokuro, so I might come back and edit this after a few more passes at this since I have over an ounce to play with, :).
Made it in my gaiwan (open lid) with water temps starting at 125 and ending at about 140 (it was hard to keep measuring) with prewarmed cup and gaiwan, about 90 ml per brew with 5 grams at 2.5 minutes, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 3 minutes. Brews a yellower green gold with a strong green tea/seaweed aroma. I wasn’t ready or expecting the first cup which whacked me in the face with the strong seaweed flavor and astringency (will probably cut the first steep down considerably in the future), but the succeeding cups were very smooth and full bodied, with a hearty, savory green tea profile enhanced by a definite additional nuttiness and a surprising hint of fruit that I am going to attribute to the jackseed (I had a piece or two in there). As each steep lessened the green tea taste, the fruitiness increased and I also began to find a definite flavor and smell of vanilla towards the end of each sip, which was a pleasant surprise toward the end.
Don’t have any other gyokuro to compare it to, but on its own, I was quite pleased with my impulse buy.
Flavors: Fruity, Grass, Nuts, Seaweed, Vanilla
