Review of The Tao of Tea’s Dragonwell sampler
I wanted to begin my day with this cup of Dragonwell and looked forward to doing so most of the morning while the water was brewing. I picked a new cup and gently rinsed it with warm water and left it to dry.
I so enjoy the tin that contains this tea, the little flat disc fits so nicely in the palm of my hand and I can see the leaves, very green in color and they look pressed not pan fried since the coloring is green not dark or black. In opening the tin, the notes hit me right away; green, grassy, vegetal…wet grass even. I like this smell very much.
I placed one large spoonful in my now dry cup and proceeded to pour the hot, boiling water into the cup. This is how I most prefer the loose leaf teas I try; in the cup no diffuser separating it. I like for the leaves to float around the cups’ rim and in time to settle in the bottom of the cup. I placed a lid on the cup to let it steep, this I do and kind of forget about it for a while, 3-5 minutes pass while I prepare to receive this liquor.
When the time seemed right, I removed the cover to find that most of the leaves (now full bodied) did settle in the bottom. I can see the coloring to be light green in color, but since the leaves are at the bottom of the cup; it is reflecting in the coloring as well. Perhaps.
As this was the 1st steep, it had a very strong vegetative scent and flavoring to it. The notes detected are astringent, pungent even in the grassiness of the taste. The more I drank this first cup the astringent became somewhat less noticeable while holding true to the vegetal quality.
I most enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd steeping of this Dragonwell since the astringency quality in the cup is gone. What I am enjoying is more of a sweet drink, buttery even when tasting some of the leaves as they leap up while sipping the tea.
This would make a good iced tea, but preferring teas to be very hot is how I am enjoying this for the day and no sweetener added. However others may want to add a drop of honey to this tea and cooler perhaps since the notes are softer as it cools.
Characteristics of this tea: Earthy, vegetal and very smooth by third, fourth and so on steeps. It is very good tea.
