The Vieilli 2022 - The d'epilobe original (Aged Tea 2022 - Original Fireweed)

Gongfu!

I’ve really enjoyed the fireweed I’ve tried from Thés du Nord in past years at the Toronto and Montreal tea festivals (the black tea style is my fave), so when I saw this three year aged version of their original oolong-style my curiosity was piqued – ESPECIALLY when I smelled it because, wow, let me tell you it smelled funnnnkkkyyyy, and y’all know I love a funky tea. Also, just have to acknowledge just how much the twisted dry leaf of this special boreal herb really does look like camellia sinensis at a glance. The steeped look gives it away a bit, but the processing/shaping technique is impressive regardless.

Steeped up, this is just as funky and fun as I wanted it to be! So, so fruity on the nose with notes of apple cider vinegar and red dates. The taste immediately made me think of another weird and fermented tea that I love, which is goisicha. It has that same sort of pickled plum, apple cider vinegar, and yeasted bread sort of tang to it but super doubled down on with notes of honey mustard, mustard greens, and even kimchi. Really, REALLY mustard-y though. I got about three flavour-packed steeps, which was such a bold way to start off the day, even with this being a caffeine-free tea/tisane. I do highly this this would be a really polarizing tea, but there’s simply no denying what a distinct experience it is, and personally, it’s something I would definitely recommend everyone try at least once.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFtIIuEyvL6/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGfFmAkNxig&ab_channel=EasyHoney-Topic