First Steep (pre-boil, 1 min)
A little floral with that certain mellow undertone that an oolong has…Almost leaning towards bland or bitter but not really sweet to me. I wasn’t very impressed but continued steeping.
Second Steep (pre-boil, 1 min)
Smoother, and somehow more tangy? Towards the tail end it becomes sweeter and curls into a deep caramel taste that caught me completely off guard. After that, I start catching dark woodsy, earthy, vaguely VAGUELY spicy notes that make me think of cedar trees. Whoa.
Third Steep (pre-boil, 1.25 min)
Smells more like wood and spice; it’s more at the forefront. Feels like a mouthful of silk. It has a very rich, heady, full, sweet taste that gets to your head. Settles into a deepening oolong taste. Resonates. Now this reminds me of custard or caramel flan! That lingering aftertaste! It’s DELICIOUS.
Fourth Steep (pre-boil, 1.5 min)
The aroma is more floral and vegetal; somewhat sweet. The darker caramel notes have become something milder, sweeter, and more vegetal. Overall the taste was more “green.” I feel like I’m sucking on tender green tea leaves. The caramel creeps back in and across my tongue as I just sit and savor the soft lingering taste of the tea.
Fifth Steep (pre-boil, 1.5 min)
Now the aroma is much more subdued, earthy and plant-like. Had only a few sips this time. The taste was similar like the last steep, but much lighter. Very pleasant. I suspected it was the last steep I could get out of the leaves…but I might have been wrong. I would say more, but I noticed a bug in the bottom of my cup (How did it get there???) before I even drank half of the tea. Ended up dumping it (along with the leaves). Very, very very eager to make another cup of this. (:
Also first tasting note—whoop!
welcome to the madness!