derk Send Message

Oh man, this tea has me wrecked. I’m not done with the session yet; I’m taking a break, fighting falling asleep because I have some schoolwork to catch up on since I didn’t go to any of my classes yesterday. Figured I’d write a note, hopefully allowing the passage of this sedative effect.

I had a few pieces of homemade spanakopita a while ago for lunch and it was a little tart from the feta and some ground dried lemon. A similarly tart tieguanyin seemed like a good follow-up.

Teapot time: 4.4g, 100mL, 200F, rinse plus 3 steeps so far at 40/30/40s

Dry leaf scent is lightly wheaty and vegetal. In the warmed leaf, delicate notes of fresh peas, soybean, cream, cucumber and grass come forward. Rinsing the leaf brings forward orchid, butter and sugarcane.

The first thing I notice is how non-nuclear green this tieguanyin is. Sure it’s green in flavor with notes of peas, soybean, grass and lettuce, but it’s a rounded, slightly creamy, delicate and dainty green. I’m also picking up on light butter and an orchid and daisy? overlay that becomes stronger on the exhale. Some osmanthus and peach in the aftertaste. The tieguanyin tart finish in the back of the mouth is present and never overwhelming — it integrates perfectly. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of oxalis aka sour grass. Almost forgot to add the aroma is quite present yet soft with lily-of-the-valley.

By the time I finish the third steep, the sugarcane returning sweetness emanates from the throat and a pleasant astringency rings my mouth along my teeth; the back of my tongue and my lips are tingling. My gaze softens with an orange hue, my eyelids droop and I so desperately want to lie down. I feel like I’ve walked through a damp meadow of wildflowers and orchids. This is one of the best tieguanyin I’ve had — I’m not so much a fan of them but I’d definitely drink this one again.

So far, sooo good. Except I’m still sleepy. Thanks, Kawaii433 :)