I am pretty happy about the progression of this tea so far. It clearly retains its identity and complexity, while further developing its sweet, woody and medicinal sides.
Before the rinse, the leaves smell like an orchard; flowery with a hint of carrot cake. Once wet, they exude aromas of mead, sauerkraut, kohlrabi, apple, vanilla, and elderberry. Overall, however, it is quite a floral scent, a little bit reminiscent of high mountain Taiwanese oolongs.
The taste starts of sweet, floral and vegetal with notes of green wood, sweet grass, and cucumber, as well as a metallic and slightly medicinal character.
Third infusion is then more nutty, it tastes of brown rice a bit. There are also hints of citrus fruits, mushrooms and pine fores. In the balanced and flavourful fourth steep, I find notes of dill and fish meat – familiar from my first encounter with this tea – but the tea is more spicy and warm now than two years ago. In the second half of the session, the tea continues to display its eclectic nature, but eventually settles on a floral and woody base to finish up with.
Throughout, the aftertaste is very warming and fragrant with notes of various spices, yeast, butter, and cream. The liquor texture is also airy and very smooth, pretty much the same as I remember it from previous sessions.
Flavors: Alcohol, Apple, Butter, Citrus, Cream, Cucumber, Dill, Fishy, Floral, Flowers, Forest Floor, Green Wood, Honey, Meat, Medicinal, Metallic, Mushrooms, Nutty, Pine, Rice, Spices, Spicy, Sweet, Sweet, Warm Grass, Vanilla, Vegetal, Wood, Yeast
