Gongfu!
I’m still working my way through all of the O5 samples I brought back from Vancouver, with this session of their Bata Bata Cha next up on my list!! I’ve been really fascinated by fermented Japanese teas lately, and this style has been on my list to taste for a while after reading a really fantastic blog post by kimberleyskyusu all about it. It was actually a lot lighter and less funky tasting than I expected. Of course, I don’t really mind a little funk in my teas but this was still really fantastic even without that punch of fermentation. It mostly had a fairly clean, toasty and nutty sort of flavour reminiscent of roasted cereals and grains with sort of earthy and bean-like undertones that made me think of tempeh and a little bit of a more woodsy finish. At moments I got a bit of the more cooling, aromatic elements of spices like cardamom – but lightly. I found the whole session rather refreshing, and actually think this would make a really good iced tea. Very unique! I’m loving learning more about this strange, new (to me) style of tea.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKiFrRQSw9t/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F09-oGuaw18&ab_channel=RolandFaunte