This is the second steep as I had the first steep in my travel cup this morning.
Nine times out of ten the second steep of this tea turns nicely smoky. But this one isn’t. It’s not even close. Not even slurping the sip can bring out any smoke. What it is, however, is remarkably sweet.
There’s a sweet note in it surrounded by that cocoa-y spicy flavour. Sort of like if you take a Keemun, brew it just so and then strip away all the smokiness. It’s got that grainy note of rye and brown sugar.
I’m completely floored by this. It’s like the leaves just decided all on their own to skip the second steep identity all together and go straight to a later one.
And I can’t guarantee that making this pot didn’t also involve some dregs in the pot that had been there since early this morning because there wasn’t room for them in the travel cup. They ought to have been unbelievably bitter by now thirteen hours later. And as you can’t dilute your way out of a bitter tea… Why is there not even the tiniest slightest hint of astringency or bitterness in this cup?
I don’t understand a single microscopic speck of this, I just really don’t.
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THIS STUFF COULDN’T GET ANY MORE AWESOME! O.O
Tan Yang, the chameleon of teas.
