First session I used 175 degree water, second used 185 – the max of the recommended temperature range. Surprisingly (to me anyways) it was much better with hotter water, though it could also be because I managed steep times a little bit better.
When I opened the bag, it smelled exactly like sweet honey. Unfortunately I didn’t get such an intense honey note anywhere in the flavor of the tea. I got a lot of kinda nutty flavors in this, a little bit toasty as well. I was getting a sweet finish on both the early and late steeps that did remind me of honey, but unfortunately not as strong or distinct as in the aroma of the dry leaves. In my first session I was getting a bit of a dryness or bitterness after the first couple steeps, I believe because I ramped my steep times up too quickly. I didn’t get much of any fruity flavor in this one though at one point the flavor was reminding me of lemon – but it didn’t really taste like lemon…if that makes any sense. With the hotter water I got a nicer and thicker body, with a more prominent corn sweetness. Why can’t I list corn as a flavor note? I hear people describe teas as having a “corn sweetness” all the time. Anyways, a pretty good green tea. I will have to try some other ones as well, I get the sense this tea would have been a lot more flavorful if it was more fresh.
Flavors: Honey, Nutty, Sweet, Toasty
