So we wanted to try it with a little less briskness, to see if we could bring out more sweetness or umami. I brewed it more like a gyokuro, at 140 for 2 mins (as opposed to 160 for 1.5). It was milder, had a fuller (I guess umami) flavor, and was definitely less bitter/astringent than the first trial (when I say bitter, this tea was not so bitter that I did not like it, it is really more of a young flavor that, to me, is very good and not the kind of bitter you want to avoid).
I re-steeped this 4 times – the 2nd time was 160 for 1 min, 3rd was 180 for 1 min, and 4th was boiling for 1 min.
The 2nd time brought out more of the astringent/bitter/young flavor. It was cool to get two different flavors from this tea in such a short period of time (as the first brew was more mild).
I don’t recall the 3rd steeping having a lot of flavor. I was actually a bit disappointed thinking that perhaps it was already done after 2 steepings. However, I tried once more with boiling water and a whole minute.
The last steeping was delicious! There was no bitterness whatsoever, it brought out a new flavor, which I almost think was sweet and umami as well.
Really cool to see so many flavors come out of this tea and it to hold up to this many steepings.
