Thanks to Verdant Tea for including this as a free sample with my most recent order!
After looking at several reviews, as well as the warning on the package, I decided to treat this tea like my Fukamushi Sencha: Low temperature water, short steep. The first infusion used water that was just beginning to give off steam, and I only let is brew for a minute. The resulting tea reminds me of perfectly-steamed vegetables – the description ways brussel sprouts, but I’m not sold – with a bit of butter. It’s a rather nice change of pace after five cups of black tea, as well as a nice change of pace for a white tea.
Surprisingly enough, the second infusion was exactly like the first. The only other tea I’ve ever had that had a second infusion like this was some Yabao, funny how both are technically white teas…
Anyway, the only downside on the second infusion was that I neglected it, and it got a little cold, which resulted in a bitter aftertaste developing. Not that the tea was bad, but I can certainly see how other reviewers were complaining about the tea being temperamental.
The bottom line is that this tea is not for an amateur brewer, but the results are worth the effort. The unique taste is very refreshing when brewed properly, and is definitely worth the pain that you have to go through to brew the tea corredctly.
