It’s been a while since I have had this one by itself. I’ve been using it s a base to blend with fresh mint, or my super smoky Lapsang Souchong. Or both. Because yum.
But today, even though it is rainy and dreary out and that usually puts me in the mood for something thick and in my face, I decided to have a go with this one.
I did want it a bit bolder than the nice summer tea, hot or sun. So I added more leaves. A bunch more. I went from my normal 3 tablespoons to 4 heaping tablespoons. I kept the steep time where Red Blossom Tea Company recommends, right at 2:00 for my 32 ounce Bodum Assam teapot.
I like.
All of the regular Shou Mei tastes are there. Woodsy, nutty, earthy aroma and flavor. There is no bitterness and very little tannins present. But there was something extra there today. Something almost, well, Autumny. The woodsy flavor, my favorite aspect of this tea, had a bit of extra flavor. Closing my eyes I could almost picture myself walking through my grandparents walnut orchard in the winter. The fruits and nuts are gone, and that strong, pungent, but somehow soothing wet wood scent wafted through the air. It’s not the same flavor, this tea does not taste like walnut wood, but it has that feel. That special orchard in the Winter feel that you really can’t explain without demonstrating.
If you ever get the opportunity to walk through an orchard in the Winter when the sun pops out after a rainstorm, take it. There is not much like in this world.
The taste is the same. That woodsy flavor has really been released and let loose to run in the open. It’s not overwhelming, by any means, but it has been given permission to show off just a bit.
I’m glad I discovered this, with slightly less leaves this is a great Summer brew, either hot or sun tea. But add more leaves, and it takes on a new life, totally fitting for a cold, wet, rainy Autumn morning.
-E
Flavors: Earth, Nuts, Nutty, Walnut, Wet Earth, Wet Wood, Wood
