This review is for the Spring 2015 harvest. Love the insane aroma of these leaves, so malty and sweet, with a fruity-caramel-sweetness of candied haw fruit (the kind they sell candy-coated on skewers in China). Dry leaf is delicate thin rolled threads, unfurls to full leaves when wet. Brewed in my 75ml gaiwan.
1st infusion: (20s, 206˚F)
Probably 10 – 15s would have been better. Coppery orange liquor, delicious sweet caramel corn aroma, tasted bitter from overbrewing.
2nd infusion: (20s, 208˚F)
Fragrance still delicious, but still tastes bitter. Maybe needs to be brewed at 195˚F.
3rd infusion: (20s, 195˚F)
Much better, bitterness is gone. This tea is meant to be brewed around 195.
I tested brewing this tea at 205˚F, 200˚F, 195˚F, and 190˚F.
205˚F was nigh-undrinkable and the sweetness was lost 200˚F was still burnt, bitter, not sweet and the second infusion was super astringent 195˚F was gorgeous, aromatic, not as sweet-tasting as I expected but not as burnt or bitter as the previous 2 190˚F has less fragrance, duller aroma that isn’t sweet.Verdict: The sweet spot is probably around 193-194˚F.
Flavors: Caramel, Kettle Corn, Malt
