/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Just went through my third infusion of Verdant's 2020 Spring Tieguanyin oolong tea, and have finished writing my notes. I quite enjoyed this, and will brew more infusions until it goes dead. Here are my journaled thoughts:

Dry leaf is is very floral and gently sweet. Lavender and some low bergamot. On brewing, perhaps geranium. Some garden vine, especially on second infusion and onwards. Very faint bitterness, largely a gentle tea. Light sweetness. Shallow yellow liquor color.

Feels very 'pretty' and relaxing. The retronasal floral scent lingers, and the feeling on the tongue is gentle but not flat. Astringency is modest. Bitterness is low, only really noticeable on the tip of a tongue as an aftertaste. It feels very 'wet' in the mouth, almost quenching. If I had to make a visual comparison, it is like walking in a freshly-watered garden and smelling a bund of delicate flowers.

I don't see many of the 'spice' notes they mention. Tried to brew 5s longer, but it just dulled the floral notes, made it more 'muggy', and increased bitterness and astringency ever so slightly. I think it is better off without them though; this is a very relaxing and elegant tea.

....

So glad I have a spare sample of this for another day. Not bad at all.