4/5, with Butiki’s Hangzhou Dragon Well a bit higher
Longjingathon! Pitting this one against Butiki’s tonight. Truth is they’re both delicious. This one’s a darker, slightly peachy hue but that’s to be expected considering the brewing instructions were 3 minutes as opposed to Butiki’s 2 minutes 30 seconds. The Butiki’s silkier and smoother, but they’re both very smooth and wonderful. This one’s roastier and tastes more like cooked food, more vegetal (lots of sweet pea and general green-pod-veggie sugar); Butiki’s is sweeter, creamier, and more delicate. There’s more going on upfront, more busy initial whammy with ATR while Butiki’s is slower to develop, more subtly complex, and in the end more haunting. I think I like Butiki’s a touch more (and I’m not surprised by that either) but I certainly wouldn’t be bummed if this was my only option. Think I’ll cold steep the leaves after maybe 1 more hot steep (if I kept hot resteeping tonight I’d never get to sleep, alas) and see how they compare that way too, in terms of cold steeping and staying power.