April Sipdown Prompt – a tea from a swap or a sample
I guess this counts as a sample because I didn’t swap anything for it! It is a gift from derk.
I may not have had a lot of sipdowns last month, but I did have a LOT of sample sipdowns. I don’t list those in my cupboard which means I don’t have the pleasure of seeing numbers go down, but I do see progress in the neatness of my shelves and cupboards, and this sample was finally able to peek out of the pile.
The leaves remind me of my first shou mei in appearance. Large broken bits of leaf are green on one side and nearly white on the other. I don’t see trichomes but there is a sort of cellular pattern visible on the back of the leaves.
I used boiling water and our shortest steep was five minutes. The liquor is deep deep yellow gold. The flavor is mild, more herbaceous than most white tea, and mellow rather than strong. I am not really getting an aftertaste, and Ashman’s comment (he is working in the yard on the new project) was that it had a very interesting flavor to him, and since he is on his third cup he must like it.
The description says it was reputed to “aid debilitation” and I told Ashman that if burping aids debilitation I should be right as rain soon. Strawberry leaf does this to me, too, and it is supposed to be good for digestion so maybe this is, too.
I am so glad we had something caffeine free to enjoy this sunny but windy/chilly in the shade afternoon! Many thanks, wonderful derk!
