What a surprise this sample was—it’s literally a chopped up piece of brick! How did this get cut? Bandsaw? Either way—this is a tightly packed huangpian that breaks off into wonderful little sheaves as you peel away at it. The wet leaf smells quite sheng-y with a little bit of ripe fruit and apricot sweetness. The rinse is a deep yellow color.
The first steep has quite a unique flavor. Definitely a deviation from the “usual” sheng flavor, this has a weird sort of upfront flavor. I’m having a hard time pinning it down, but I would describe it as reminiscently fruity. This first steep is honestly quite good. It’s got that weird fruit, some present body, and a sweet aftertaste that chases but doesn’t linger as long as some better teas that I’ve tried.
In the second steep, a little bit more bitterness comes out in the body and aftertaste, though still far from being distasteful. There was a surprise tart in there too—the kind that shows up in the sides of your mouth under your tongue!
Third steep is light amber and still quite smooth to drink. There’s a sweet aftertaste developing that I’m a fan of, especially when coupled with the fruitiness.
The flavor drops out after the fifth or sixth steep, but never gets overly bitter. I very much enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to drinking more of it!
