Thank you LiberTEAS for this terrific sample!
I’m guessing this one is charcoal roasted at a higher temperature. There is a lot of toasty notes that leaves me reminiscent of Houji-Cha. This may be partially because of my slightly higher than recommended brewing temperature; but is very enjoyable none-the-less.Most of these tightly wound pellets are 40-60% larger than several of my most recent oolong tastings. This is very nice, because you still have plenty of unfurling action on your other infusions.
The overall cup is smooth, little astringency and gives you quite a rush of warm energy. It proves to be the perfect cup of choice for this early evening.
I will certainly be trying this one at multiple steepings, and am interested in finding if the sweeter notes emerge at a slightly lower water temperature.
Edit:
Ok, this go around I lowered the water temp by 10 degrees and found the sweeter and slightly milder side of this tea. You can still taste the toastiness, but now the cup evolves into a tad more complex.
