I thought I had this one before today, but I must not have logged it. I sat down for a gaiwan session with the beau on this lazy Sunday afternoon. I’ve already made some applesauce and need to start on bread and soup soon. I LOVE cooking Sundays, and they are only improved with good tea, good company, and ideally a good book. I dug out my tea feet, they desperately need a session. I water them so rarely that they soak it up as quick as they can. Greedy!
The dry aroma is very sweet and subtler than other Shus I have kicking around. Steeped the aroma is familiar barn – wet hay, damp wood, leather and earth. I used to be very turned off by this smell but it has come to be appealing to me over time.
I did a ten second rinse and first steep of 20 seconds at 90 degrees. This is lightly sweet, actually very light in general. None of the earth/leather/hay taste comes through. Pretty mild. Second steep at 30 seconds, 90 degrees. This tastes like it smells, almost a bit too strong in flavour but not aggressive or bitter. Nice. No astringency at all. Marvellous!
Third steep is 30 seconds at 95 degrees. Hoping for more leather, earth and damp wood. This is a black tea drinkers puerh, I think. I love black teas and that is what has led me to pu. This one is a nice transition tea. I love the lack of bitterness but still intense flavour. Anyway, third steep closely mirrors the second. Bold wood, leather, earth. No sweet, no bitter.
Fourth steep of 45 seconds at 95 degrees is very similar to #s 2 and 3. Still no bitterness, but bold earth, wood, leather are all present.
I don’t know that I will get to more today, so I had better save this. Signing off!
