Finished up the last of my sample of this: 9.5g in 200ml water in my Yixing zisha pot.
Rinsed at 95˚C. Wet leaf smells beautiful, floral and clear and crisp, hint of sweetness.
1st infusion (20s): Wet leaf smells like brine. Liquor slight bitterness and a lot of astringency. I don’t get any sweetness. Think I was a bit careless and overbrewed it. I don’t like this dryness.
2nd infusion (18s): Less astringency, nice clarity, but I’m not getting the “nectar-like sweetness” that the YS website is claiming. Tea soup has a thick body and clear briny flavour redolent of fresh oysters, which is a pleasant association. Much better than the 1st infusion, which I clearly messed up.
3rd infusion (20s at 96˚C): Now getting a hint of spiciness in the aroma. Another great infusion.
4th (20s at 96˚C): Clear spring, minerally, flavour too light I didn’t push it hard enough.
5th (25s at 100˚C): Ah, yes I think this is the tea finally calming down and giving me a firm yet mellow flavour. There’s no sweetness or astringency, just I don’t know why but it seems to me that this is the flavour of maturity and wisdom. There is a rounded sweetness in the mouth afterwards. White grape skins. I think I’m finally beginning to ‘get’ this tea. Definitely not one that I’d crave often or call a “favourite”, but I think I can appreciate it for its excellence and durability now.
Note: This tea currently sells for US$132 per cake on YunnanSourcing. It was totally wasted on me a year ago (when I rated it a 45) and is probably still semi-wasted on me now – my nose and palate aren’t refined enough to pick up all the floral and other notes. It’ll be funny to look back on how my tastes have developed if I ever try this tea again.
Rating: 85
Flavors: Astringent, Mineral, Spicy, White Grapes
I like to read the reviews where people completely reevaluate their original takes. It shows that our perception and appreciation are ever-evolving qualities.