From TTB 2019/2020.
I spent a chunk of the day today cleaning up our tea cabinet. We have a stand-alone cabinet and the top had become a catch-all for teas and strainers and vitamins and mail, etc. etc. I got it organized and now it’s super clean and so inviting. In the rubble was my gaiwan and gongfu tea set that I bought a few years ago. Truthfully, this was one of the main reasons I wanted to clean the cabinet because I had been itching to pull the set out again and give it a try with this pu’er before I send the box away.
I’ve only had a gongfu session a handful of times. I don’t really feel confident enough in what I’m doing so I am always hesitant to try. I also like my teas with honey and I’m just not sure my palate is sophisticated enough to truly appreciate all the flavors that come through in an unsweetened cup. That being said, I was so excited to do this that I watched quite a few videos to give me the basics and then jumped right in.
I won’t give a rating because I’m not sure I even did this right. The tea had color but not much flavor to me. The little nuggets stayed intact for all of the infusions, even though I did try to break them up a bit. In all, I think I did five or six infusions before the caffeine went to my head and I decided to stop. I did really enjoy the ritual but I didn’t experience much flavor so I’ll be passing this along. I’m sure someone else will love it.
