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I picked up some green teas from Teavivre this spring, and am only getting to them now. Maybe I’ve just been grumpy lately, but this dragonwell doesn’t seem as sweet as the one from 2016. I steeped it both gongfu per the website’s recommendations (4 g, 120 ml, 20, 30, 40, and 60 seconds at 185F) and Western style (3 g, 12 oz., 1:00, 2:30, 4:00, and 6:00 at 185F). Like last year’s, this year’s leaf is well formed and has lots of downy fuzz.

Gongfu, this was almost completely vegetal. I remember notes of broccoli, bok choy, and maybe asparagus, with some astringency in the background. It almost tasted like a sencha.

Western brewing produced a sweeter chestnut profile that was more in line with the dragonwells I’ve had in the past. The vegetal elements were still present, but they were more balanced. The tea never got bitter.

I found this dragonwell to be a much tougher customer than its 2016 counterpart. I’ll try steeping it at lower temperatures and using fewer leaves to bring out the sweetness.