I’m not sure whether I should be posting this note under Adagio or Zhejiang. I purchased it from Adagio as a part of the Master’s collection containing three different teas in two formats (so six tins), but it clearly came from Zhejiang. Maybe I’ll post it there, since others have written there…
On second thought, there is only one note there, and the packaging is completely different, so here goes. The version I prepared today is in the sachet. The leaves are wholly in tact and in serious abundance. Honestly, they appear to have packed this sachet to capacity, because upon infusion it was completely stuffed—like a plump green pillow! In fact, I worried a bit that the leaves might be stifled in this configuration, trapped like sardines in a can, unable to swim freely and actualize their full potential.
The brew of the first infusion was a light yellow color, a bit more golden than green, and the flavor was veering toward sencha. The scent, too, reminded me a bit of some senchas. This tea, however, is even cleaner and less vegetal. Very smooth and likeable, but not as good as the Lung Ching from Teavivre… I’ll try the loose leaf format and see whether my theory about leaf oppression has any basis in reality.
second infusion: with so many leaves crammed into the sachet, I felt that a follow-up infusion was obligatory, though I actually used the sachet because I was in a hurry and planning not to prepare and drink two cups before leaving.
The three-minute brew was weak with only very faint flavor, so I threw the bag back into the glass and pretty much forgot about it for a few minutes. Then the liquor was darker and more brown, and the flavor was more like hoji-cha than sencha. I’ll try again!
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Haha! When I brew Western style, i’m not a mandatory second steep type of person, but I feel somewhat guilty if the leaves are still waiting to expand. That’s why I almost never brew Oolongs this way! I don’t feel as bad for green teas, cause I don’t always love the second steep.
Hi TeaFairy! I think that I’m going to switch over mainly to loose tea, because, well, why not? I have these nice tetusbin cast iron tea pots, and now that I’ve read all of these scary warnings about the plastic used in producing the sachets, I have even more motivation for going that way!
Haha! When I brew Western style, i’m not a mandatory second steep type of person, but I feel somewhat guilty if the leaves are still waiting to expand. That’s why I almost never brew Oolongs this way! I don’t feel as bad for green teas, cause I don’t always love the second steep.
Hi TeaFairy! I think that I’m going to switch over mainly to loose tea, because, well, why not? I have these nice tetusbin cast iron tea pots, and now that I’ve read all of these scary warnings about the plastic used in producing the sachets, I have even more motivation for going that way!