The aroma of the dry leaves is very fruity, so I was interested to see how this would steep out. Unfortunately, I think I got my gaiwans mixed up and I screwed this up from the start, as I mostly got bitterness out of it. The aroma of the wet leaves was very floral, with a sawdust and pine needle aroma mixed in there, and the texture was.
So I think I got my gaiwans mixed up and screwed up this tea, as I mostly got bitterness out of it. The texture was appreciable, however, and the qi hit me in the first steep with a bit of a head rush and a very noticeable surge of alertness.
A couple steeps in the bitterness faded and gradually gave way to a smoother, spiced floral flavor with nice viscosity. Oddly enough, it starts to remind me of some whites I’ve had. Never really got much huigan but a nice, sweet aroma does cling to the empty tasting cup. I’m going to have to give this one another try soon, though, so I can nail those earlier steeps.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Floral, Pine, Sawdust
