Quick Notes Longer steeping times for contrast with the short steeping tasting notes.
Gong Fu style 5-6g tea 5oz gaiwan Initial wash of 20 seconds
1st – 30secs – The liquor is light bronze color. Sweet and creamy body that is very smooth and pleasant. It then turns savory with subtle earthy notes. Really smooth and mellow with some camphor freshness that lingers through the aftertaste which is also sweet.
2nd – 20secs – The liquid is a dark bronze color with light malt layers. Sweet and creamy, it is a full bodied tea. Very smooth and pleasant with only hints of earthy notes. The creamy sensation covers my tongue; it feels like slightly swells my tongue. The savory notes are more brothy and apparent with hints of wood. Very refreshing and sweet aftertaste.
3rd – 20secs – Leaves are loosening up and the liquor is a dark bronze color. The liquor is creamer, smoother and sweeter then turning savory for several seconds which allows an earthy/woody notes to be appreciated as part of its brothiness. The aftertaste is slightly brothy/soup like before turning sweet and very refreshing.
4th – 20secs – Leaves smell very creamy, sweet and earthy. The liquor is sweet, almost fruity before becoming creamy/buttery and covering the tongue. Only a slight savory taste with faint earthy note. As it washes down the creaminess cover and turns very sweet and refreshing in the aftertaste.
5th – 30sces – Sweet and refreshing, then slowly turn creamy and goes down very smoothly. The savory notes are barely present and the earthy notes that were already subtle seem even more hidden. A very sweet and refreshing aftertaste.
6th – 30secs – Very sweet adn smooth the creaminess is present but decreased in ‘speed’ to set in, the camphor freshness seems to take its place before it sets in. The earthiness is only present when initially ‘slurping’ your tea, then disappears in sweetness and freshness.
7th – 35secs – Sweet and only slightly more creamy than previous than the previous steep. There’s a faint/subtle earthiness to it. The aftertaste is refreshing and sweet. From this steep and on the tea seems more like a black tea in its sweetness and creamy body, the earthiness very subtle.
NOTE
I made several other steeps adding about 5-10 seconds as I saw fit.
This tea is very good and ‘weird’ at the same time. When opening the wooden box I got a strong camphor scent and earthiness that reminded me compacted compost (in the greatest way possible).
Preparation
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OK, which timing did you prefer? Longer or shorter? I noticed the third steeping was probably the best? That’s often the case with me too and when that happens, I go for broke sometimes on later steepings if I’m impatient. If the puerh has pooped out, I make a latte (no kidding).
You know, I like both. To me is more about ‘what’ I’m looking for at a specific moment. If you want full appreciation of the tea as it opens then shorter and lighter steeps. If you want to taste the tea at its full capacity then longer darker steeps.
Those middle steeps while the cake is still opening are incredibly good. In most puerhs THOSE are the ones I’m looking for, but somehow this tea is still very good tasting, it just doesn’t taste that much like a earthy puerh, it is almost like a black tea. I bet a dedicated yixing cup or pot would be amazing for this tea!
OK, which timing did you prefer? Longer or shorter? I noticed the third steeping was probably the best? That’s often the case with me too and when that happens, I go for broke sometimes on later steepings if I’m impatient. If the puerh has pooped out, I make a latte (no kidding).
You know, I like both. To me is more about ‘what’ I’m looking for at a specific moment. If you want full appreciation of the tea as it opens then shorter and lighter steeps. If you want to taste the tea at its full capacity then longer darker steeps.
Those middle steeps while the cake is still opening are incredibly good. In most puerhs THOSE are the ones I’m looking for, but somehow this tea is still very good tasting, it just doesn’t taste that much like a earthy puerh, it is almost like a black tea. I bet a dedicated yixing cup or pot would be amazing for this tea!