In a moment of weakness I purchased the A&D triple pack, which I’m finally getting around to trying this weekend. I threw a teaspoon in my gaiwan and used near boiling water to steep the tea for 15-20 seconds. The foretaste is a bit strange and is dominated by the smoky flavor of the tea, but then the taste transforms into a smooth and mildly sweet flavor before trailing off into a lightly mineral aftertaste. The problem with this tea is that I find myself comparing it against Zheng Shan Xaio Zhong, which is hardly fair because this tea is above average. That, and nothing smoked is really in the same galaxy as Zheng Shan Xaio Zhong. Oh well, it will still be interesting to see how the tea develops.
Second cup was made with the same parameters as the first, but the taste is much different. The tea isn’t quite as sweet, allowing the smokey flavor to assert itself a bit more.Another change is that the texture of the tea has gone from a bit creamy to a nice solid mineral-ish sensation. Both of these changes actually improve the flavor of the tea, and I can’t wait to see what the next development will be.
