After my Golden Fleece turned out so well yesterday, I decided to brew this tea in my double-walled mug and then trasfer it to my normal mug. I used a generous amount of leaf, though I wasn’t really paying attention to how much it was, and then used 205 degree water, and let it sit for 15 seconds. Like the last time I brewed this tea, it turned out surprisingly sweet, but with the delightful smooth taste that isn’t quite butter yet still close. Finally, the wonderful smooth walnut aftertaste gently asserts itself and lingers for a rround two minutes. Overall, an amazing expereince which was the perfect pic-me-up for a dreary day like today.
Second cup, same temperature and preparation method, but only steeped for 10 seconds. There is a kind of juicy/fruity flavor that has begun to assert itself, which then transitions to a kind of juniper/woody flavor in the middle, and finishes with that delightful characteristic walnut aftertaste. The resemblence of this tea to butter has further degraded, but it’s not silky or “mineral” (i.e. a Wuyi Oolong), but I’m not sure how else I can describe the feeeling. Regardless, the tea developed well, and I’m very pleased with how the session is going.
Music of the Day – Leo Ornstein, Piano Sonata no. 4
first video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6-oVoTBACw&
The rest can be found in the related videos.
This is a lovely piece written when the composer was in his late 80’s, after several decades of mellowing (he was rather well-know for writing music that would make Schoenberg look tame, but this was written late in his life, well after he finished pushing the boundaries of music). It’s a surprisingly emotionally powerful piece, but I understant the it mihgt not be the type of thing that a lot of you guys like, so feel free to ignore this piece
