The dry leaf is tightly rolled with some long stems, and dappled green and almost violet.
The steeped leaves unfurl to almost fill my steeping basket. They smell creamy and buttery with notes of roasting and toasted bread.
The liquor is a deep golden colour and smells even richer, and creamier than the steeped leaf.
The start of the sip is intense and a touch tart, with a hint of bitterness and astringency. After that intense spike though, there’s not much to it. We shall see once this cools a bit how the flavour develops.
As it cools more of the buttery notes develop and it gets richer and more multidimensional, but it’s still not great. I’m pretty sure I oversteeped this, sadly. I’ll have to give it another go with a shorter steep or cooler water.
Flavors: Bitter, Butter, Cream, Roasted, Tart, Toast