Porcelain gaiwan, 5g, 195˚ F, 110ml, 15 steeps: rinse, 10s, 13s, 16s, 19s, 22s, 25s,28s, 31s, 34s, 37s, 40s, 43s, 46s, 49s, 52s
According to their site, this blend was made to celebrate the year of the monkey. So they blended 2016 Autumn teas from wild arbor tea leaves growing in three different areas of Yunnan and after several tries, they decided on this one. Sounded interesting. ^^
The liquor is a pale yellow. The medium green wet leaves smelled slightly tart. I have my morning stuffy nose so there’s that to consider :P lol. The first and second steep was mild, sweet, grassy, umami, slightly astringent. The 3rd steep is when a slight bitterness entered the profile but in a balanced way, not overpowering, not overwhelming. It remained in the profile until the last steep, along with a pleasant, savory umami taste. Fruity notes towards the end (could be my nose cleared up some by then lol) It lasted 15 infusions total. It’s full-bodied, has a crisp, pure, clean taste. I enjoyed it. If I were into aging Pu-erh, this one would probably be really good to age.
Flavors: Bitter, Peach, Seaweed, Stonefruits, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal
