Tangpin

Tried it again today, this time western with classic ball strainer.

Steep was 4 minutes long and honestly it was dismal. It wasn’t that flavourful at all, it was like understeeped. It was very light and only things I have noticed was kind of baked bread notes & malty. Sad about this session, because I still remember the goodness of gongfu brewing a month ago. Downrating, from 92 to 85.

I just wonder… are there teas which are prefered brewing in only one method?

You know what happens when you place an order and won’t check other interesting things in shop? You place another order. And exactly that happened to me with Tangpin. I completely missed out they offer actual tea. I was that curious I decided to place another order of small pouch of this tea. All teas offered by them, as of today, are added to Steepster database.

So, I have used 7 grams (of 50 g) to use in my gaiwan from them. It’s so much leaf it is having volume of 105 ml while adding water for a rinse. But I think it will be regular 120 ml after.

I don’t recall having so complex black tea in aroma? It’s floral, citrusy, stonefruits, lilac, malt and leather a bit as well. And that’s only after rinse!

First steep, as usual for me, 10 seconds. Maybe too much; and it looks exactly like on the picture. The aroma tends to be more malty and leathery, quite straightforward but wait, there are again stonefruits and citrusy as aftertaste. 5 seconds would be enough. Oh wow.

Second steep, similar timing, a bit longer. It’s again leathery and malty, lighter a bit, maybe more citrusy.

Third is mellow and again wonderful. I wonder if I got a lucky hand when it comes to picking teas, or I generally enjoy all the tea?

Fourth around 25 seconds long; stonefruits became bit more present, as well the leather. Maybe I have noticed it is slowly being done, but I am still impressed.

Fifth, 45 seconds. Yep, degradation is evident. But comeon, it’s cheapo tea. And I wasn’t expecting anything but drinkable cuppa.

Sixth, looong. Malty cuppa.

EDIT: I was playing with the steeped blend and I see lots of small stems and not actually leaves. There are leaves too, of course, but I think there are quite lots of stems. More than I think I ever saw; but it works well. Maybe if it was more leafy it would stay longer; but well, I don’t think it’s bad. The leaves are quite small and usually somehow torn, but there are sometimes even full.