*From the aged Oolong group buy *
Strange: has a big hunk of gourd skin in the package ( I wasn’t brave enough to steep any of the rind, but may try it in the next sample) 1st steep: (60s) leads off with a strong roasted, almost burnt taste, almost like French roast coffee. This is quickly followed with a mellow caramel flavor that makes me think sweet, even though I don’t actually have any perception of sweetness. The caramel fades in the finish, but a hint is still present. The finish seems more like nutmeg. Decent texture in the mouth: just a bit of viscosity. Fairly consistent through tasting as the tea cools, but when it got near room temperature it became bitter.
I waited about 10 minutes before the second steep, as the tea leaves had not yet unfurled. 2nd (60 s): Very roasty in the nose, but the immediate sensation on first sip is sweetness. The taste is tar and leather. I don’t notice the caramel. Big finish. Later in the cup the tar is starting to be replaced with caramel; the taste is very smooth and mellow. I delayed about 30 minutes for the 3rd steep (60 s) to let the aftertaste of the last cup fade away. This is mellow with mild leather/caramel flavors. Not at all burnt or toasted. The finish seems almost bigger than the taste at this point. I gave the 4th steep at little extra time, but there wasn’t much left.I really enjoyed tasting this tea, but the initial roasted flavor was a bit too much for me. I used 3 g of tea in 6 oz of 190 F water.
I usually brew boil with heavy roasted TGY, rinse and very short steeps. I’m getting some bitter melon TGY from YS . Hopefully it’s good
I put some skin in every package :)