Bought this on a steep (bahahah!) discount from Teavana this new year. Brewed pseudo-Gongfu style in my Finum.
First, I have a cold and feel crummy. I can’t smell much of anything and my tastebuds are somewhat compromised. I just wanted something a bit bolder that might break through all this crap. With that said, I’m not going to number rate this tea until I have a chance to revisit it when I’m feeling well.
I brewed this with just-boiled water, so I gather it was about 195-200ºF, a bit over what was recommended by Teavana. I did a quick rinse and then brewed only for about 2 mins, as the 3 min directions seemed excessive. I’d say I was right. A deep amber color, the tea came out quite bitter, but had a nice lingering aftertaste. Again, I’m pretty shredded from this cold, so what I got was a nice warming full-mouth feel sweet aftertaste that lingered over my palate. It invigorated my dull achiness and gave me some caffeinated life.
The 2nd infusion I rolled things back and went more traditional with a 30 sec steep. The things I liked about the 1st steep remained, but without the bitterness, replaced by a light dryness. I think I’m going to like this tea when I’m feeling better… Hey, I’m feeling better! That’s what I was hoping for with this tea and that’s what I got. Usually a green tea drinker, down deep I wanted something warming and invigorating, without being ridiculous. Check!
3rd infusion continues the theme, and I’m hoping when I do this tea again it will reflect subtle nuances. Had I not brewed the heck out of this on the first steep, I bet I could get 10+ infusions out of this stuff. But right now I’m going to end this review, keep steeping and keep feeling better!
