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You know what happens when you place an order and won’t check other interesting things in shop? You place another order. And exactly that happened to me with Tangpin. I completely missed out they offer actual tea. I was that curious I decided to place another order of small pouch of this tea. All teas offered by them, as of today, are added to Steepster database.

So, I have used 7 grams (of 50 g) to use in my gaiwan from them. It’s so much leaf it is having volume of 105 ml while adding water for a rinse. But I think it will be regular 120 ml after.

I don’t recall having so complex black tea in aroma? It’s floral, citrusy, stonefruits, lilac, malt and leather a bit as well. And that’s only after rinse!

First steep, as usual for me, 10 seconds. Maybe too much; and it looks exactly like on the picture. The aroma tends to be more malty and leathery, quite straightforward but wait, there are again stonefruits and citrusy as aftertaste. 5 seconds would be enough. Oh wow.

Second steep, similar timing, a bit longer. It’s again leathery and malty, lighter a bit, maybe more citrusy.

Third is mellow and again wonderful. I wonder if I got a lucky hand when it comes to picking teas, or I generally enjoy all the tea?

Fourth around 25 seconds long; stonefruits became bit more present, as well the leather. Maybe I have noticed it is slowly being done, but I am still impressed.

Fifth, 45 seconds. Yep, degradation is evident. But comeon, it’s cheapo tea. And I wasn’t expecting anything but drinkable cuppa.

Sixth, looong. Malty cuppa.

EDIT: I was playing with the steeped blend and I see lots of small stems and not actually leaves. There are leaves too, of course, but I think there are quite lots of stems. More than I think I ever saw; but it works well. Maybe if it was more leafy it would stay longer; but well, I don’t think it’s bad. The leaves are quite small and usually somehow torn, but there are sometimes even full.