A new tea type for me. classified it into Puerh because most people do, but even they admit its a different animal. I’ve been curious and unsure about trying and finally had the cut to buy it.
Gong fu Style 5g/5oz Gaiwan
Dry Leaf – Floral Bamboo fragrance, slight sweetness.
Wet Leaf – Bamboo floral fragrance, smoky, sweet.
1st Steep – 2secs * – Unusually sweet, charcoal roasted scent and taste with some bamboo smokiness. The sweetness is like a golden bud black tea but then wears a bamboo fragrance like a ripe or raw puerh would. It is very refreshing and clean at the end with only a slight smoky aftertaste.
2nd Steep – 2secs – Sweet, smoky and more apparent bamboo fragance very hidden bitterness. The sweetness again is reminisent of a black tea but the ‘bitterness’ is more like an Oolong or a well aged Sheng. The charcoal notes remind me of a charcoal roasted TieGuanYin or Da Hong Pao, which can in turn resemble a tobbaco taste. The aftertaste is slighty smoky and refreshing.
3rd Steep – 2secs – Fragrance of charcoal roasted Oolong and bamboo that becomes sweet. The taste then becomes slightly floral adn somewhat ‘mineral?’ as it fades like an oolong would. The aftertaste continues to be slightly smoky and refreshing.
4th Steep – 4secs – At this point it reminds me of a fading black tea, as black teas have ‘peaks’ of flavor and puerhs and oolongs tend to be more lasting and consistent. All the previous notes are there but they are somewhat faded. This however opens up to subtle floral notes similar to a well aged raw puerh with just hints of smokiness.
5th Steep -6secs – This steep also has the same properties as the previous one, the sheng like properties are more obvious, but still very subtle notes. The aftertaste has remained refreshing.
6th Steep -10secs Revived by the added extra seconds, the smokiness and sweetness are present again. As the steep goes down it reminds me of that faded black tea/high oxidation Oolong. The aftertaste is slightly sweeter and smoky ande very refreshing.
I was able to get 10 really good steeps out this one. Just like a black tea it seems to have peaks in flavor and I’ll have to continue experimenting with the times. Overall very pleasant and confussing, in the best of way possible. This tea seems to integrate traits/characteristics of different tea types, very nice an just spikes curiosity.
