I’m surprised Steepster doesn’t have an entry for this tea, though there are a few entries for lapsang souchong that could be referring to this one. I’ve been buying it from Wuyi Origin for at least two years, and prior to that, I received a sample from Trident Booksellers and Cafe, which resells a few of Wuyi Origin’s products. I even found what I hope was a tea seed in my last 50 g pouch! I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.
The dry aroma is of bread, malt, honey, lemon, orchid, violet, hay, and wood. The first steep has notes of bread, malt, honey, lemon, orange, orchid, violet, other florals, minerals, and tannins. The tea is on the breadier, maltier side and the florals are less pronounced than in previous harvests. Steep two adds rose, molasses, forest floor, and more wafts of citrus. More florals, including violet and jasmine, appear in the next couple steeps, though the tannins and malt also increase. Steeps five to eight are nicely floral and lemony, with the jasmine remaining prominent. Subsequent steeps are still faintly floral, but there’s more malt, hay, wood, and tannins. The last couple steeps are woody, earthy, mineral, and tannic.
This is one of my favourite black teas from Wuyi Origin, coming second only to their Wild Lapsang. It has great longevity, little bitterness, and wonderfully balanced florality. Thank you, Daylon, for introducing me to this tea so many years ago.
Flavors: Bread, Citrus, Floral, Forest Floor, Hay, Honey, Jasmine, Lemon, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Orange, Orchid, Rose, Tannic, Violet, Wood
