Finally cracking into this sample at the end of a frustrating day. 7g to a 100 ml gaiwan, boiling water that has cooled for a minute, I wasn’t keeping too close an eye on temp. Aroma fresh off the rinse is pure just cut grass and standard young sheng with a slight hint of camphor lingering interestingly in the background somewhere. The leaf is an attractive darker olive green with some red edges on random leaves.
Brews up a liquor that is a darker gold and the taste more mild than I am used to from sheng this young. Not too bitter or astringent, although there is some drying action present. Intermediate steeps coaxes out a pleasant sweetness that is followed by that stealthy camphor cooling quality. Nice thickness, with a solid bit of mushroom-esque meatiness to the flavor. This tea wasn’t particularly outstanding in any way to my taste, but very solid all around and with that touch of camphor to grab the interest (I’d be curious to see how that develops with time) . Add in the happy and relaxing qi and I’d say this was a great way to wind down the last of the evening, although I may regret it when I try to sleep.
Flavors: Camphor, Dry Grass, Hay, Sweet