This tea looks really cool. Looong slender twists. Mint greens, reddish tans, and green blacks. The smell is sharp and musty, reminding me of polish, perhaps shoe, and mahogany. Wet, the leaves are muddied browns and olive greens. No smell. Then after a few steeps, burnt honey. They slowly uncurl.
1st steep: 3 min.
Leaves still mostly coiled. Taste is very light. Reminds me of young sweet peas.
2nd steep: 3 min 15 sec.
Leaves starting to uncoil. Stronger taste. Like fresh peas and pea tendrils and boston bibb lettuce. Buttery. Starchy pea-like mouthfeel.
3rd steep: 3 min 30 sec.
Leaves look like spiral curls. This steep is grainy, slightly roasted, reminds me of cereals. Like an oolong-lite.
4th steep: 3 min 45 sec.
Leaves only loosely curled. Buttery. Chestnut taste and mouthfeel. Dry at the end of the sip.
I could have steeped this tea more. I had a zucchini, onion, and feta cheese omelet for dinner and didn’t feel like green tea afterward. I was surprised by the difference in tastes among the steeps, and that I could close my eyes and sip and realize what the taste was like. I’m rating this tea a 78 initially, high on my good range (60-80). I’m pretty sure the rating will be moved into the really good/great range. One reason is that I’ve been thinking about drinking it again since I tried it. It’s just been hot and I haven’t been drinking afternoon teas.
