When the leaves are placed in a warmed gaiwan, we are greeted with the sweet scent of sugar and butter, reminding us of warm toffee. There is something slightly creamy about the aroma with a touch of cinnamon or other spices hiding in the background. When infused with water, this buttered toast fragrance gives way to something much fruitier like a berry compote with vegetal edges.
The roast on this tea is medium to high, so it will need some time for the roast to fully sink into the tea and the flavors to meld (roughly 3-6 months). Currently, the roast fragrance is distinct from the tea fragrance, eventually these two will become one in time.
The brew is surprisingly sweet on the tongue, causing us to salivate quickly while providing an oily full-mouth sensation that sticks around between infusions. The bright and clear flavors of this tea speak to the ideal spring picking season during which these leaves grew. Rare in recent years are the perfect combination of cool nights, bright sun, and occasional rain that creates such outstanding teas.
Around the third infusion, the deep minerality of this tea gives way to a bouquet of gardenias and other sweet floral notes most evinced by the aroma left behind in the empty cup. If left to cool slightly, this tea becomes incredibly oily, coating the tongue and the mouth quite nicely.
