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Day 5 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. I had a lot of work to do today so I brewed this up Western-style, using the whole cake in a spacious steeper and a 10oz mug. I did 95c for 2 min for the first steep, with a very very quick initial rinse, and I was amazed at how quickly and thoroughly this cake blossomed in the steeper. More than anything it reminded me of those little toys that expand in water. I don’t know if they’re even still made, but I remember loving them as a kid because they were tiny and then when you added water they’d get way way bigger (or so it seemed to me at the time). This had the same spirit of rapid, joyful expansion into something fun. Definitely a smooth drink, with a dominant roasted savory flavor and a gentle sweetness. It reminds me of toast with a thin layer of honey on top. There’s a second cake, which I suspect would yield many steeps if brewed gong fu style, but given how much this one expanded I’d probably break it in half for that.