Finally getting to the sample of this I got at last year’s tea festival. (Just in time for this year’s.) I think my four minute steep was slightly too long; the flavour goes from smooth to bitter in my mouth, leaving behind a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste. Floral notes aren’t necessarily my favourite, but the rose isn’t bad in the initial flavour here.
I think it might be improved with milk, a shorter steep, or both. Still, this does make me want to blend my own tea at some point, to see if I can find my own perfect blend.
As a note, the resteep is much less astringent, and still has quite a bit of colour and flavour to it. If the first steep had been like this, I would have been much happier. (And this is why it’s good to try something over several steeps, I suppose.) The floral taste is quite strong now, and it’s not my favourite flavour if I’m being honest, but I think this is closer to how this tea should taste, and it’s good for what it is.
