Thank you JC for this sample tea!
This is a TGY from Thailand! Yep, bought there in the market by JC himself and brought back to the USA, then shared with me. I feel very special getting to taste a tea that I know he probably had a hard time parting with!
I didn’t have directions so I took a look at how tightly the leaves were rolled, then did two quick rinses.
Steep one: 180 degrees for 20 seconds.
Surprisingly, the first steep wasn’t very strong or floral. The flavor was clean and fresh with a light savory taste and a cucumber seed bitterness at the end.
Steep two: I lowered the temperature to 140 and 40 seconds.
This pour was still sweet but had a buttery texture and camphor coolness like many Oolongs from Taiwan. (That was also a surprise.)
Steep three: Boiling water and 45 seconds.
The flavor was more floral, sweet but less buttery or savory. I preferred the lower temperature from my three tests.
The leaves were filling my small white Gaiwan now, they were not only long…but fat.
I returned to the shorter steep time and lower temperature and the flavor lingered after each sip with a savory coolness, the wafting of flowers somewhere close by reminding me this was a Tie Guan Yin.
Every cup I drank was delicate, smooth, sweet and fresh with a little butter coating my lips.
Now that I’ve tasted this tea, I’m watching what Thailand is producing!
Thanks JC! Unique TGY!
