My god, is this really Tie Guan Yin? I just brewed the 2015 Teavivre Tie Guan Yin and if you had asked me in a blind tasting, I would have sworn this was a Jin Xuan Oolong. The leaves are green, not darker roasted like traditional Tieguanyins I’ve tasted, and it smells super buttery and fresh like popcorn. (Update: I now realise after a bit more tea experience that this is what non-roasted Tieguanyins usually taste like.)
It’s also strange that this green oolong is brewed at 212˚F.
1st infusion: Beautiful, buttery, fragrant, clear.
2nd infusion: Still smells and tastes buttery, but subtle and a tad bitter.
3rd and 4th infusions: As the Chinese saying goes, 三道四道是精华。No bitterness this time, just a subtle floral butteriness.
Flavors: Butter, Popcorn