I’m starting to make my way through Teavivre’s green tea sample pack and the description on this one caught my interest… We’re currently experiencing some very interesting weather (today sunny with a high of 13c. Tomorrow? Snowing with a high of -12c… No I’m not joking, a 25 degree swing within 24hrs. sigh) and I was looking for something warm but fresh and this sounded like it might hit the mark.
The dry leaf is rolled lengthwise and presents a dark spicy aroma mixed in with some warm grass notes. There were a few nutty hints as well but they were quite hidden among the rest of the scent profile.
My first steeping of 30sec gave a bright, though light, green liquor that smelled of sweet, almost roasted nuts, mixed in with some lovely spicy/smokey notes. It was a warm but yet refreshing scent. The taste was actually pretty similar, roasted nuts (almost like cashews) mixed in with a light bit of spice with a lovely rich sweetness wrapped around it. The finish was slightly astringent and served as a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the tea. And while the mouthfeel was dull and rich it was also very light and refreshing, a very unique combination.
In my second cup (60sec) the bright green liquor picked up a slight floral scent which replaced the slight smokiness of the first cup, while the rest of the notes stayed pretty much the same. The floral not carried though to the flavor as well, while the rest of the flavors mellowed out considerably. The finish was also less astringent.
The pale yellow-green liquor of my third cup (90sec) displayed a soft aroma; the brighter floral notes were mixed in with the sweet roasted nuts. This was quite a mellow cup, subtle in flavor but refreshing. There was still a bit of “spice” in the profile as well which added an interesting contrast to the brighter floral notes.
My last cup (120sec) was even softer than the previous one in both scent and flavor. The floral notes were a nice refreshing highlight and lingered well after the finish. There’s also still just a little touch of the spice left to round out the profile.
This is a dynamic cup of tea, with tons of character. I loved how both the flavor and scent profiles changed over time and how refreshing this was despite the inherent dark"spiciness" of the leaf. This is definitely a tea that I could see keeping in stock for some time to come.
