The dry leaves smell slightly fruity and floral like a lighter dan cong. The leaves are really nice quality appearance-wise, with large full leaves and so far no leaf fragments.
Really nice roast tone on the rinsed leaves, with a floral tone peaking through. More charcoal tone on this than expected from the name and the dry leaf aroma, which I’m pleasantly surprised about.
The first steep bring out more of the fruit and florals over the lovely charcoal tone. The flavor is sweet and minerally with subtle slightly masculine floral notes retronasally.
The second steep really bumps up the aromatics with strong orchid aroma and bright fruit tones (not exactly citrus, but it is a brighter more terpenous fruitiness, so I get where Verdant is coming from with their description). There’s some crisp acidity to the thick brew that compliments the charcoal minerality, sweetness, and aromatics.
Third steep and beyond brings out more nutty-chocolaty charcoal roast tones bringing the fruits and orchids into balance, with an expected slow fade out to 7 steeps. Interestingly around the fourth steep a lighter, more feminine floral twist (gardenia or jasmine or something) sets in modulating the orchid aroma a bit, before fading out in the next steep to mostly complex mineral character. Maybe a little black pepper setting in late.
All in all this is a pretty nice yancha. Very pleasant to drink.
