From PTTB-5. Thanks for the donation.
I set aside samples of the three Bitterleaf teas before mailing out the box. I needed a treat tonight so decided to try one. I was a bit nervous due to the name: I’m not a fan of bitter tea. Turns out I didn’t need to worry.
The initial steep didn’t have much nose. The taste is straw with pretty good texture and finish. Slightly sweet. In the 2nd steep the nose is much more prominent. Taste is a bit richer, but the finish is what really impresses. Long and smooth with straw and a bit of fruit (not quite apricot, but close). 3rd steep: Lots of wood in the nose. Wood also in the taste, but the fruit and straw are still apparent. Feeling some cha qi, but not awfully strong. Not a tea for the tea-drunks.Here I screwed up. I got distracted, so my 4th steep lasted 2 minutes. I was surprised that it was drinkable: It had a much darker color. Very woody, but only slightly bitter. Surprisingly drinkable! The 5th steep was the biggest surprise. Despite my brutality on the previous steep the tea was sweet and smooth, with pretty good mouth-feel and complexity. Still quite fruity. At this point I’ve gotten 15 ounces of tea out of a 3 gram sample (including the over-steep), but the tea is still going strong.
My overall impression is that this is a tea that is very approachable in its youth, but has reasonable complexity and the sort of good texture in the mouth that I’d expect from a quality Yiwu.
