This is a sample provided for review by Zen Tea. Thank you for the generous samples!
The name of this tea is CURLED Dragon Silver Tip, so why was I surprised when I poured out some leaves and they were curled? LOL! I don’t think I have ever seen a green tea curled this way, only oolongs. This is really pretty, so into my little glass pot it goes! The little dragons are green and white and the dry leaf smells very nice – floral with a bare hint of mineral. I want to watch this pretty tea steep. All steeps were two minutes. I think next time I make this I will try a three minute steep and see what happens! My samples were large enough to play with the parameters a bit.
First steep: the leaves are only partially unfurled and the liquor is pale. The aroma is sweet and floral, with a hint of buttered sweet vegetables. The taste matches the aroma – buttery, floral, fairly light, not sour or bitter, the taste of sweet, tender vegetables. Very nice!
Second steep: the leaves are fully expanded now. This is a very nice green tea that you could enjoy every day. There is no sour taste and it is sweet, smooth, and mild. The more you drink this, the more flavor lingers on the tongue. There is a tiny bit of pleasant drying, not much.
Third steep: pale peachy gold, very pale. Aroma now faint, flavor lighter but present. The third steep is really a stretch for me but you could probably do three rapid steeps in succession and combine them in one pot as I sometimes do and let all the flavor levels of the steeps blend and balance each other. Or just use two steepings!
Thank you, Zen Tea! This is a lovely green, both in appearance and flavor!
