It turns out I had to leaf it harder.
Western again: 4g this time, 8oz, upped to 205F, 2 steeps at 2m30/4m.
The dry leaf, which I didn’t mention before, is very chopped and isn’t too fragrant but does smell of bittersweet chocolate and berry. The brewed tea is deeply orange-red and very evocative of autumn. It still smells like lipstick, red wine, malt and citrus (orange?), now with an addition of oats. Tastes fruitier than with 2g and the oat and citrus in the scent come through in the mouth. Still also has a note of autumn leaf. The most noticeable differences are a moderate mineral tone and slight touch of bitterness that give the tea some depth.
It’s decent daily drinking material. I’m out of it now but there’s still some tweaking to be done with the brewing parameters.
Aaaaargh! I had a chance to buy this Saturday and decided to be good and wait until my stash is smaller! Whyyyyy?