No reference point
This is my first jingmai was I not sure how to rate it. The leaves are supposedly spring gushu so I assume this is a good a place to start as any. The dry leaves smelled of salad greens and slight tobacco coupled with a more dominant “young sheng pu” smell. The first few steepings were muddled with the teas potential. The tea had a decent amount of complexity unfortunately it was not a flavor profile I enjoy. The dominant flavor reminded me of fall not that I am claiming autumn harvest but the raw leaves literally tasted like when I was a child raking leaves and remember getting some accidentally in my mouth. It was not the sheng puer leaves taste I am familiar with closer to whatever tree leaves we have here in north america. The first few steepings I tasted a slight bitterness similar to bitter green vegetables nothing unbearable and a quick astringency. Also I tasted a strong mineral/wet stone mid way through (maybe this is the gushu root system) and followed by a slight woodiness it finished with a super quick sweetness that you’d miss if you blinked. The body was not super heavy although the viscosity pouring from the gaiwan was on the slow end. After the 4rd steeping or so the astringency vanished but a slight leave bitterness remained. Towards the end of the session the sweetness become more apparent although still not super intense or long lasting, it is still hiding behind the main taste of “fall” leaf. I hope this is not the jingmai profile while the memories the taste invoked of childhood were pleasant the taste maybe me think of stopping raking to spit out leaves in a dramatic manner. Forgot to mention in the earlier steepings the liquor did slide down the sides of the tongue but only slightly. The cha qi was calm and soothing with a slow creeping effect that I almost didnt notice had it not been so bright outside(mild fish eye lens vision).
While I do not dislike this tea and see some of its admirable qualities I will not be purchasing any of this especially since I have a few more jingmai samples from william of bannacha to go through.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Mineral, Wet Rocks
