I brewed this Grandpa style in my large mug again, using a bit more than the usual amount of tea leaves, and the results were very interesting. The color of the first infusion was dark amber, but not really dark enough to be categorized as red like more heavily roasted Oolongs. The aroma was dominated by the roasted character of the tea, but with hints of something sweeter. The flavor of the tea is very interesting, with a medium-strength roasted character and hints of honey. The aftertaste is currently dominated by the roasted flavor of the tea, but the characteristic mineral aftertaste is still present, lingering on the hard palate for half a minute.
The second infusion turned out pretty well. The color only lightened a few shades, and the aroma was characterized by a declined in the roasted aromas, leaving behind something a bit sweeter. The taste also lightened, with the honey flavor becoming more prominent, and the mineral aftertaste gaining a bit more prominence.
The third infusion was better than the previous two. It achieve a perfect balance between the roasted flavors and honey/sweet flavor. It’s a bit hard to describe because of how simple the flavor of this tea is, but I guess that is part of its charm. That being said, the aftertaste again asserts itself, but it doesn’t linger for as long any more. Regardless, this was a very good cup of tea.
More to come later.
