Oriental Beauty

Today, I finally got around to finishing this. My first ‘real’ sipdown! Hurray for me? XD

But anyway, I promised myself I’d finish this tea in my Gaiwan – there was basically enough left (~3-4 g) for a perfect session. I pre-heated everything and gave the tea a quick rinse (perhaps unnecessary, but hey). After that, I got to work!

My first two steeps were around 5" each. The liquor was golden-yellow and really appley. Lovely, refreshing, sweet and so fruity. The scent, of both the wet leaves and the infusion, was similarly apple-like.

Steeps #3-5 (still only 5-10") developed into something special – it was like drinking cinnamon-stewed apples. Absolutely mouthwatering – it had a delicately spiced scent and a lovely, mouthwatering, rounded flavour of apples and cinnamon. It was so reminiscent of apple pie. It was also a really lovely tawny colour.

Steeps #6-7 (10-20") were equally wonderful, but the fruitness was now a little toned down; instead, these two infusions were more reminiscent of Chelsea buns. Notes of warm pastry, cinnamon, brown sugar and maybe a gentle hint of citrus and raisins. Really delicious.

Steeps #8-9 (30-60") were tasty enough for them to be “really good”, but definitely on a decline after the deliciousness of the first 7. The infusion was much paler, but those apple and cinnamon notes were back again, making these two bright and fresh tasting. There was a greater astringency to these cups, telling me that I was probably getting toward the end of this session.

Nonetheless, I didn’t want to give up too soon and it was so cold that a few more warming infusions would be welcome, the strength not really being an issue :P Steeps #10-12 (1-3’) were all much milder, but still carried a sweet, gently fruity flavour, now much smoother with a mild vanilla note.

By the end of the 12th steep, the leaves only had a very mild fragrance, so I conceded defeat and washed everything up.

This was definitely a wonderful tea. The leaves were initially a little dry, which did worry me a little, but I think it was totally unwarranted. Everything was sumptuous. The wet leaves, at the end, were lovely and mostly whole – they had a chestnut-and-dark-green colour, which was really nice in my glazed-inside-Yixing-outside Gaiwan.

I’ve also upgraded my score (90 —> 100) because I don’t really have any reason, now, to take 10 points away.

7 superb infusions (3-7 being highlights), followed by 5 good ones, reassured me of the quality. It left me feeling lively and content, able to really think clearly and in detail about my interview prep. And, perhaps most importantly, it tasted divine.