Revisited this tea after a long time. I was blown away when I first sampled it a few years ago and then made the mistake of buying a large bag that turned out to be totally lackluster so I didn’t bother with it again until recently. After many sessions over the past few months, I’ve learned that this tea is best enjoyed at peak freshness. That’s true for most greens but especially so with this one.
When fresh, it’s incredibly aromatic and vibrant. The leaves emit a wonderful scent of blueberry jam, nectar, and flowers. It slowly brews to a pale translucent green liquor with the taste of warm blueberries, hay, and white tea florals. The blueberry note is unique and not one you typically come across in green tea. Subsequent infusions bring out corn silk, sweet peas, and light vegetable broth.
The flavor has evolved a bit (or devolved depending on your point of view) as the tea has aged. The fruitiness has all but disappeared along with some of the delicate notes and the tea has settled into more of a beany / vegetal flavor. Still good but not as craveable as before.
A few additional observations. This tea requires a good amount of leaf. I had best results when using half the 7g sample pack for a 120ml gaiwan. It has a tendency towards bitterness so not recommended for grandpa steeping. Like I said above, the flavor fades quickly so its best enjoyed when fresh and I wouldn’t recommend stocking up unless this is going to be your daily drinker.
Flavors: Beany, Blueberry, Corn Husk, Flowers, Hay, Vegetable Broth, Wax
