This came with my last Teavivre order of teas as a sample. I went a little overboard buying greens so I have not touched the samples much. ;)
Sniffing the lid of the gaiwan after the rinse step. I’m picking up on a strong buttery and slightly smoky (or similar) smell.
First steep tasted much like I expected; boldly vegetal and buttery. There is also a biting sort of characteristic. Not quite bitter,but it still pulls on my senses like bitterness. (in a good way)
Second steep was milder but slightly more bitter and astringent. Overall tastes very “green” and flavourful.
Third and fourth steeps were both great, with the latter beginning to lose some flavour.
Overall I like how bold the green, vegetal flavour gets. However it’s not one of my fav green teas. There are aspects of it I like, others not so much, but still an enjoyable experience. I prepared it in a gaiwan, so I can’t comment whether or not it’s any better in a teapot.
100ml gaiwan, 3g of tea, 4 steeps (rinse, 30s, 50s, 1m20s, 1m40s as recommended on their website)