gongfu brewed
Raw leaf smells extremely sweet like a caramel taffy, wet leaf has more vegetal characteristics.
The first infusion is a very light, sunny liqueur with an aroma like buttered broccoli. The flavor is overwhelmingly like lightly browned salted butter, perhaps like oversalted madeleines, with an almost coconut flavored sensation of creaminess that fades to a juicy cool. The sweetness is subtly reminiscent of peas and green melon.
Second infusion has more green notes, the butteriness softening and the overall sweetness intensifying and taking on a honey flavor as the tea cools. By the third infusion, a crisp bright character begins to rear, with a bite of kale and unripe nut bitterness along with a subtle fruity character I can’t quite place. The round butteriness remains still in the background. The fourth infusion is unexpectedly too bitter for my taste, resting in the throat a bit like bile, yet still with that buttered broccoli flavor!
I suspect this tea would be well served grandpa style with cooler water. Even with the sudden brash bitterness at the end I’d call this a top notch, interesting tea.
Flavors: Broccoli, Butter, Coconut, Cream, Garden Peas, Green Melons, Honey, Kale, Popcorn
