Thank you, Angel, for providing me a sample!
Brewed gongfu style with a gaiwan. Steeping instructions are from the website. 5 second rinse. Steeping times: 30, 30, 35, 45, 60, 100, 120.
After the rinse, the leaf has floral and buttery and sweet notes. Following the actual infusions, the aroma smells mainly vegetal, of creamed spinach.
The liquor is pale golden yellow, clear, and full-bodied with a creamy texture. The first infusion reminds me kukicha: vegetal, seaweed-like, and sweet. The second, which is even sweeter, tastes of mid-summer floral scents, if these could be captured in a tea. The third infusion is a little strange. Roasted vegetables on the tongue, candy on the roof of the mouth – completely separated, not meeting and mixing, as if this tea has a double personality, of which both personalities simultaneously emerge. At this point in the session, the sweet aftertaste is strong and truly lingers for minutes. The fourth through seventh infusions have only fruity notes. Peaches and berries, mostly blueberries. A little tart. As the tea sit in the mouth, the fruits change into flowers.
I believe this is my first non-roasted Dong Ding. I had an enjoyable session with it. Delightful and complex all around!