Method: Gongfu glass teapot.
No rinse. Steeping times: 20, 10, 10, 20, 45, 60
I had to admire the lovely dry leaf at the very start of the session. Twisty, half-inch, very few broken in the packet from traveling. Mostly bright gold with some browns, and very, very fuzzy. When the leaves steep, though, the gold immediately disappears, and they become uniformly chocolate brown. And throughout the session, the fuzzies just keep on coming. Each infusion is cloudy from all of the fuzzies floating around. They clump together at the bottom of each cup I pour myself.
I’m still getting over my cold from earlier this week. I tried my best to discern the aromas with a semi-stuffy nose. The dry leaf aroma has notes of malt, baked breads (notably pumpernickel), and bergamot; while the wet leaf aroma smells of fudge at first, and then roasted red peppers. Pretty sure about that last one, even though it sort comes out of nowhere, considering the kind of tea this is.
The liquor has a beautiful golden color – shining in the light, it’s like treasure. Full body, warm feeling, a consistent creamy texture and note of sweet potato as each cup cools a bit. (No need to mentions this orange tuberous plant anymore then.)
I have to take a moment to get used to the flavors – it’s been a while since I’ve had a Chinese black tea. Initially, the first infusion tastes malty and nutty, and then the sweet potatoes arrive. Second infusion is WELCOME TO FUDGETOWN. Basically. Three and four have prominent chocolate and citrus notes, a combination that reminds me of those chocolate oranges you smash on the table. There is no 45-second infusion because it was too weak. Moving on to the true fifth infusion – all sweet potatoes.
This is my first Dian Hong. Beautiful to behold, and nice to drink. Overall, this was a good first experience.
