Much better the second time around. I’m sorry little Cannonballs, I treated you harshly yesterday. You didn’t deserve my hate! This time I used my 120mL gaiwan and 160F water. I was also much more careful with my steep times, knowing that this tea can turn into a bitter mess as soon as the little cannonballs begin to open up.
I started this off with a 20 second rinse to get it going and then the next 8 or so steeps stayed at or below 10 sec. Before the cannonballs opened up all the way, the tea was light and a little vegetal with a good sweetness. As they started opening up, the tea definitely got thick, a tad bitter, and picked up a savory and brothy characteristic. A couple steeps later, the savory flavor started mixing with a renewed sweetness, which soon developed a nice floral characteristic.
I suspect this tea is quick to bitterness because, as I saw looking at the spent tea, the cannonballs are comprised of very small and fragmentary leaves. Thus, once they open up, you’re hit with a bitter-bomb if you aren’t careful. Pretty tasty once I knew how to handle it.
Flavors: Bitter, Broth, Floral, Sweet, Vegetal
