68

Steeped for just 30 seconds as per other people’s suggestions below. I don’t have a kettle that does exact temperatures, so it was about 4 or 5 minutes after boiling, which I figure to be somewhere between 180 and 200 degrees. Possibly less.

Disclaimer: I currently have a cold and am drinking this to soothe my throat and sinuses. As such, I may not smell or taste as much as other people. But I still want to make a point of reviewing it!

First steeping: definitely greener than I would like. To compare it to the Sanctuary T Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong, it’s much sharper at the first sip. It’s actually not too bad, and I think I really like it for a change of pace from what I usually drink. It reminds me faintly of my favorite Irish Breakfast CTC from Upton Teas – possibly because I tend to slightly oversteep and get a hint of bitterness/astringency. There’s also a hint of flavor to the astringency…it’s almost a spicy feel, with an extra burst of heat. The complexity is growing on me. I think I really like this cup for cutting through the awful coating of mucus on my throat!

Second steeping — water temperature probably about the same, but who knows. 1 min 30 seconds steeped. The leaves are definitely more unfurled now, and the liqueur is more golden than before. It’s a weaker cup than before (maybe I oversteeped the first time?) but the flavors are more mellow now. There’s still a jangly note of that spicy astringency but it’s not all I taste anymore. This is more akin to the Sanctuary T oolong, but still with that extra hit of green-ness.

Since this is a rather weak cup I don’t think I’ll go for a third steeping on this set of leaves. Maybe next time. If I change my mind I’ll do a second note rather than add to this one further.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 15 sec

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