I let this one go stale, unfortunately… I overleafed to compensate, but I didn’t really get much flavor until it cooled considerably. It’s not a super flavorful and complex tea to begin with, so I guess it doesn’t bother me too much that it’s past its prime. It’s earthy and familiar and vegetal, light and beautiful to watch steep. Chinese teas have a mysterious, quiet, artistic presence. Tea with a purpose other than to caffeinate the drinker. They evoke and awaken certain feelings.
Drinking this particular one makes me sad, although I am 100% certain that that wasn’t the intent of the blendmaster.
I got it on my very last weekend in college, so just opening the bag and inhaling the dry leaf transported me right back to that day, the sadness, fear, and also strange exhilaration of graduating looming over my head as I made the purchase. Maybe that’s why I went so long without drinking it— I didn’t want to be reminded of the cozy little tearoom where I bought it, or of the friend I was with, whom I haven’t seen for a while.
I think my memories associated with this tea flavored my cup today more than the leaves themselves.
