This is probably the most expensive tea I’ve purchased from Stacy, hence my usual putting-off of the good stuff that I’ve recently learned you’re not supposed to do with greens. I bought this nearly a year ago and I’m only trying it for the first time today. Sigh.

I used 1.5 tsp dry leaf (I wish the “amount” box would recognize decimals or fractions) and probably a little less water at a little lower temperature and for maybe 4 seconds longer than the recommended parameters. The resulting liquor was pretty intense – I almost never add more hot water after steeping, but I did twice for this one. Even then it was somewhat bitter and astringent, but there were some buttery and spinach-y elements I liked. (Why do I always think green teas taste like buttered spinach?) I’ll try it with only a teaspoon of leaf next time.

ETA: Went for a second steep, 1m15s. It’s much gentler than the first steep, but still has a bitter bite along the sides of my tongue & plenty of umami (at least that’s what I think it is). The buttery & vegetal qualities are much less present, but I think I can make out some nuttiness, and perhaps a wisp of fruit.

Preparation
155 °F / 68 °C 1 min, 0 sec

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Bio

I grew up in New Jersey drinking Celestial Seasonings, and now I live in England, where I developed a taste for a good builder’s brew. Sometime in 2012 I bought my first loose teas, and my collection has since spiraled out of control. Still quite a novice, due to not drinking enough tea to keep pace with the amount I keep buying.

Some things I’m pretty sure I do like:
- most florals (jasmine, orange blossom, osmanthus, etc)
- buttery, vegetal greens
- malty blacks (usually with milk & sugar)
- oolongs that aren’t too heavily roasted

Not really feeling the flavored teas lately, for whatever reason.

All tasting notes use unfiltered hard tap water, unless otherwise specified.

No real method to my numerical ratings yet, but we’ll see what develops. So far I’ve only given ratings of 90 or higher if I actually get excited while drinking the tea.

Location

Bristol, UK

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