A 25 g sample I ordered. Came in 2 big chunks, with a few smaller ones and then a few loose leaves and some dust. For my first tasting of it, I decided to go with 6 g of leaf to 4 oz of boiling water. The dry leaves smelled a bit mossy to me, like a forest, with a hint of must. The first steep of 10 sec (no rinse this time) is a rich dark color. There’s a pleasant earthy taste to the brew and its satisfyingly thick on the tongue. No trace of bitterness. A flavor that reminds me of dry autumn leaves. A hint of cinnamon (although that could be due to the previous tea brewed in this vessel, which is a pain to wash so I frequently rinse with hot water).
Second steep ~15 sec. Weaker flavors than the first brew, although the color is darker and more rich. Third steep ~20 sec. Brew darkens to an almost-coffee level, although there are still tones of red. I get a bit more of the cinnamon/spices than the previous cup. It is still smooth, without bitterness.
Edit: I did steep this twice more, at 25 and 30 sec respectively. However, the tea seemed to be losing its flavor and I couldn’t distinguish anything in particular. Perhaps it needed to steep longer than what I was giving it, or I steeped it too long initially. Or I used the wrong tea leaf to water ratio. Any thoughts on this?
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Earth, Spices, Thick
