This is an interesting green tea. Frankly, it reminds me of a young raw Menghai-area pu’erh, on its sixth or seventh infusion. It has a mushroom broth body with dried and fresh herb notes. The finish is the fruity, gummy sweetness you would find in a Menghai pu’erh.
It does not go for many infusions (I gong-fu’ed it!), but that is fair considering that it is a green tea and that gong fu style is not the traditional method of preparation.
The experience was interesting and tasty, although there were only two infusions that were really nice. The others had a fairly flat arrival and development, although the gummy, fruity aftertaste was persistent.
Certainly an interesting experience for a green tea, although I would be much more likely to reach for a pu’erh, where I could get similar flavors with more of a kick.
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Dry leaf – noticeable spice note in the bag (turmeric, ginger, coriander), dry cut grass, hints of popcorn, sassafras, and charred mesquite wood. In preheated vessel – sweet grass, some red-fruit notes.
Smell – mushroom broth, campfire log, hints of incense/sandalwood
Taste – arrival of mushroom broth, hints of charred mesquite wood. Development of sweet grass with hints of sassafras and dried parsley. Finish has herbal (fresh parsley and cilantro) and arrival of gummy sweetness. Aftertaste of gummy sweetness (pear, peach, mandarin orange combo) with lemongrass.
