Side Gongfu Session (Read previous note):
I acquired 2lbs of this about 4-5 months ago. A friend was trying to rid their stash of a few Teavana teas which they had too much in their storage. I jumped on the chance to get this into my collection.
I’ll admit, it wasn’t my favorite tea, even when Teavana was in business. Firstly, it was too pricey for the quality of the leaf. I felt that it was a mid-ranged TGY, but it wasn’t worth the $25/2 oz that was listed. Fortunately, I worked at Teavana, so I was able to brew a cuppa at any given moment.
Secondly, despite it not being my top pick, I still drank a cup of this on the daily, amongst the other cups I had during my shift. It was something that became a tradition during my time at the shop.
I alternate this one with a milk oolong at work. I think that it’s soothing, despite the fact that it’s two-ish years old. I don’t think that this has spoiled in any way, but it does have a bit of a sour note, when steeped for too long. I noted yesterday, while sharing a cup with a coworker who once was the die hard Teavana fan, that it reminds me of a sour ale. Not for everyone, but the tartness gives it a unique flavor throughout the session.
I like to gongfu brew this, though. I think allowing the leaf to open up naturally, in small flash steeps, results in less sour notes, and more generic floral flavoring during the session. I oversteeped the first two rinses, but the tartness wasn’t as strong as it might’ve been when Western brewed.
I’ve a long way to go until this tea is gone, but I’ll continue to savor each moment, as I typically do with all things that are no longer available.
