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A very smoky tea for it’s age (I thought). Quite enjoyable, although I tried it in the early spring and I think it would be more suitable for fall weather drinking.

Here are my notes from my first steeping. I did the session over two days at my desk and got 17 good steeps in:

Leaf: 6g
Brewing Vessel: 90ml Gaiwan

Rinse – 3s

1: 5s
Very smoky! Slightly astringent. Dry leaf has a ripe fruity smell. Something between apricot and pear.

2: 5s
Even more smoky… very interesting. I was not expecting this from a 5yr raw.

3: 7s
Less smoky, but still a big smoky aftertaste. A warm, vegetal mouth-feel. Still not fruity.

4: 8s
Much lighter now. Quite good, although not much sweetness. Has a very dry finish.

5: 10s
The smokiness is definitely in the background now. A warm flavor. This would be an excellent fall tea.

6: 11s
Very light flavor. Should have added more time. The vegetal flavors are really coming through more and there’s not much smokiness.

7: 15s
Very bitter. Not bad, though.

8: 15s
Much more of the sweetness. Tasting more like the raws I’m used to

9: 18s
(note from next day)Don’t remember, but it was probably good and I probably chugged it…

NEXT DAY

10: ~20s
Warm with sweet vegetal hints. Much lighter. Perhaps it will “wake up” after this and come back in strength for the next steeping.

11: 26s
Floral hints coming through. Vegetal taste and mouth feel. Wet leaf smell moving much towards apricot.

12: 39s
Very smooth. Still a light body. Not quite sweet yet, but there is definitely an idea or a hint of floral sweetness. Good viscosity. Dry finish. Overall, pretty flat steep.

13: 45s
Getting a very apricot / fruity sweetness now. Very good.

14: 70s
Wet leaf smelling a little flat now. Not nearly as much flavor remaining. Less viscous, but still decent body. A slight dustiness. A bit of dried fruit aftertaste.

15: 120s
Very smooth and sweet.

16: 180s
Delicious. Much sweeter and smooth.

17: 240s
Quite good still. Much more dry, but smooth and sweet. Hardly a hint (if any) of the smokiness remains, although there is somewhat of a pleasing earthiness hinted in the finish. I think I’ll call this the last steeping. I have to head out early today.

This is a phenomenal tea for the price. The amazing thing about this tea is the “chi” more than the flavor. It is very energizing, and not just in a caffeine buzz sort of way. If you drink much puerh, you probably have had a similar experience from other tea. Top notch! Would definitely recommend.

Here are my notes (unedited) from the first session with this tea. I have since upped my “dosage” to 8g for my 90ml gaiwan.

Leaf: 6g
Brewing Vessel: 90ml Gaiwan

Rinse – 3s

1: 5s
Much earthier than the Jing Gu from yesterday. Wet leaf has a very sweet smell. Not so much the usual apricot smell… maybe more earthy. I can’t quite pinpoint it.

2: 9s
The wet leaf smells amazing… Dried peaches or something… Very bitter this steep. A lovely astringency. Not very vegetal at all. A bit of an iron-y finish. Malty mouthfeel.

3: 9s
Wet leaf getting a bit more apricot. Very astringent. Delicious malty thickness… this is a really fantastic tea.

4: 10s
Less astringent. Smoothing out a bit. I am expecting the sweetness to come out in 3-4 steeps. After pausing for a while, there definitely is a lingering sweetness in the mouthfeel.

5: 12s
A bit dusty. Thought I caught a hint of sweetness in the background of the first sip. Bitter, but less malty. Deliciously getting a bit vegetal. This is just a phenomenal tea.

6: 15s
Smooth with a light bitterness. A little harshness from the water? Leafy leafiness.

7: 20s
Life changing. Smooth and sweet. Very good. Top notch tea. Absolutely amazing.

8: 25s
Slight sweetness coming through

9: 30s
Flattening out a bit… should have increased 8s or 10s.

10: 42s
Sweet and light. Happy taste.

Pretty good stuff for a grocery store brand. I wouldn’t say it’s stellar, but it’s definitely better than most bagged green tea. It has a good, full flavor, and is good for a couple of re-steepings.

This basket works great! It doesn’t let anything through except for the extremely fine dust in some low-quality teas, and then barely any of that can even get through.

It has room for the tea leaves to expand, and it’s super easy to clean.

I can’t think of anything that could be improved.