68/100
6g Gaiwan
28/25g
Summary: This tea has its best moment in the first 3 steeps, showing an interesting soft and dry texture, with a sweet raisin sweetness; however, it fades after this with bitterness.
Dry: Colourful, loose compression. Aroma is concentrated herby and fruity. Nice aroma.
Hot Gaiwan: Warm berries.
Wet leaf: Hot apples, then hot fruit, and when it cools, slight mushroomy.
5s – Cloudy yellow/light orange. My first sip has a very sweet raisin sweetness. It does not linger. The third sip does linger. Pleasant raisin sweetness. A succinct sweetness. Flavour is mild, with no strong bitterness. I’m not feeling any throat rhyme. It’s not too thin. 75/100
10s – Light yellow/orange. Not so cloudy. This does have bitterness, of course it is raw pu’erh, but it is so mild and met by an almost dry sweetness, which gives it a rather unusual texture of something soft and dry. 80/100
15s – Sunburst orange (light orange). Sweet raisin fruitiness with a very balanced sweetness. Becoming a little astringent. 70/100
20s – Light orange. This has a nice bite; the heat has really gone through the tea. I can almost taste base sheng in the lingering finish. 65/100
15s – Same light orange. The water may be too hot; the Gaiwan really heats up with consecutive brews. Raisin sweetness is getting some bitterness and astringency. There are some sour lemons in the finish.
20s – Raisin sweetness. The texture of soft and dry has gone.
30s – Water has cooled in kettle. This tea works better with cooler water temperature. This is less bitter and less astringent, and is pleasantly raisin-sweet.
35s – Lemons – both sweet and sour.
Reboil.
10s – Very light yellow/orange. Very light on flavour – mainly sweet/bitter lemons.
60s – Brighter orange. Base sheng taste – end of session.