06/16/2023
Eyeballed amount in 100ml gaiwan; water 208ºF.
5s rinse, tasted, then discarded. Rinse tastes smoky; leaves smell smoky.
5s infusion. Soup is pale orange. Tea is mild & smoky.
Longer infusions. Dark orange soup. As the tea opens up, it presents more flavors than smoke. There is slight astringency
...Read MoreRead more about 06/16/2023
Eyeballed amount, manifesting as a dry aftertaste that turns into a creamy mouthfeel. Tar, charred wood and spice notes predominate. A metallic note; slightly biting. The spice note seems to be centered on star anise and cloves. There is a very light, nutty sweetness that reminds me of sweet rice, lightly scorched on the bottom of a Chinese clay pot dish, and there is a chocolate note, and also a hint of pine needles. It is a surprisingly complex tea and I really like it.
For an old sheng brick I would say this is at least 4 in class, possibly even 4.5.
06/19/2023
Eyeballed amount in small Yixing pot for sheng; water 208ºF
10 s rinse discard.
10 s infusion. Smoky; tea needs to open up.
15 s infusion. Strong, smoky with a sour or sour fruit note I did not notice in the first brewing session - I used more leaf this time. Astringency and some bitterness, wood and the spice note are back; again, a creamy mouthfeel. I think this may be the best sheng brick I have tasted recently, but it has been a while since I tasted a Dayi brick.
Longer steeps: The astringency and bitterness are fading and the nutty mellower qualities of the tea are taking center stage.
Flavors: Anise, Astringent/tannic, Biting, Chocolate, Cloves, Camphor, Complex, Creamy, Drying, Metallic, Nutty, Pine needles, Scorched rice, Smoky, Sour, Sour fruit, Spices, Sweetness, Tar, Woody Read LessRead less about 06/16/2023
Eyeballed amount