Martin Bednář Send Message

This tea is just 5 years younger than I. And as I have birthday today, I decided to make oldest tea I have in my stash. Maybe I have some forgotten tea bag somewhere in collection which is older, but bleh, I do not want to try to find it and drink it. Rather old cake. Tea cake.

I received this one from Donatzsky again, so thank you!

About 15 seconds rinse, preheated gaiwan as well the cup.
1st steep is as well 15 seconds long. I noticed whole leaves in that compressed chunk I have in gaiwan. It weights 4.5 grams, which – let´s see if enough, too much or not enough for 85 ml gaiwan.
Wet leaf aroma is bit fig, bit piney (or rather resinous). Fruity.
In taste it is mellow, but the taste is nothing distinctive. Maybe as I am drinking it rather cold?

Second steep. 30 seconds long. Pour green, clear liquor. It is more resinous in aroma as well in taste. But it is still so mellow. Bit honey.

Third steep, as well 30s.
Still mellow, still resinous and honey and mellow in taste. Some sweetness I am not able to recognize. Maybe like a candi sugar?

4th, 30 seconds once more.
Now it is not enough, it is bit watery.

5th 45 seconds
It is such a strange, chunk is still compressed, leaves do not separate itself, so I helped them a bit (let’s see if it will change something in next steeps)

This steep though, is again resinous.

6th, for a minute.
It became bit like a vegetable broth.

7th 1minute15seconds
Similar to previous one. I like that it is still very smooth, even it is more vegetal and less resinous.

8th 90 seconds
Who knows? My thermos is empty now. So last one.

Okay, it is bit vegetable, but little fruitiness takes place too (again). As well the resin. And of course bit of everything is there.

And as a festival of classical music about 10 km away from my hometown called “Smetana’s Litomyšl” let me post song pairing (made by Bedřich Smetana, who was born there): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI8iTETiSqU

Actually the song pairs the tea quite well.

And overall? Certainly a nice tea. First half I enjoyed more, resinous taste is pretty interesting and I liked refreshing taste of it. Okay, not really refreshing, but the lightness of it. Nothing “heavy” in taste.
Second half became vegetal, which was not a bad thing too. Heavier in taste, but still easydrinking and smooth.