Given the many reviews on this site, I’m surprised I’m the first to write a note about a Teavivre green tea. I think they’ve changed the name to Premium Lu Shan Yun Wu, though I rather like Gou Gu Nao (Dog’s Head Green) for its randomness! I steeped 3 g of leaf in an 85 ml porcelain pot at 185F for 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds. I also bowl steeped the rest of my 5 g sample in 200 ml of 185 water, starting at 4 minutes and adding water when needed.
The dry aroma is of green beans, chestnuts, veggies, and spring flowers. The first steep has notes of green beans, butter, asparagus, grass, sesame seeds, and spring flowers. The chestnut aroma at the bottom of the empty cup is wonderful. The next steep adds kale and brussels sprouts, though the nuts are still present. Steeps three and four are even more vegetal, with grass, lettuce, and what I think is narcissus. The final steeps are full of cruciferous veggies and are a bit astringent, though they retain a floral and grassy aftertaste.
When this tea is bowl steeped, much of the bitterness disappears, though so do some of the florals. The first few rounds are beany and nutty, and then the tea fades into grass, minerals, and lettuce.
This is a bit more delicate than the regular Lu Shan Yun Wu, with more chestnut and floral notes. Bowl steeping is definitely the way to go if you want to avoid bitterness.
Flavors: Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Butter, Chestnut, Floral, Grass, Green Beans, Kale, Lettuce, Mineral, Narcissus, Sesame, Vegetal
