Thank you AllanK for sending me a sample of this prior to Dark Matter 2016.
I went ahead an rinsed this tea and then threw out the first steep just to be safe so I wouldn’t have the same experience as Allan. About four steeps in I am noticing one aspect that I dislike in general which is the dryness around the sides of my mouth. While that isn’t pleasant, the taste is rather interesting in a way that I enjoy. There is a touch of mossy grass hiding behind a light ‘ripe’ like taste. Lots going on with this tea is you take time to taste it all; hints of salt, scent of minor smoke that doesn’t carry over to the taste, and an odd taste of ‘old tea’.
I am already pretty certain that most people won’t enjoy this tea when they try it, but there really is a lot going on with tea all while keeping me interested in pinning down the mixture of these taste. Wishing that the dryness would not be an aspect, I still feel like this will be a tea for others to experience and be thankful that they did get to try a roasted hei cha regardless if it leaves positive or negative thoughts after.
In the end: I shall call this the roasted moss dashed with sugar and salt. :)
I’m so curious by now
Sounds like you liked it more than me.