This was my first try from Hatvala and my first experience of a Taiwan oolong. I find it richer and more complex than Three Moons. It has an aftertaste that is layered and comes out in stages — the pear taste blooms some ten or fifteen seconds after drinking. It’s also sweeter.
Wet leaves had a strong toasty smell, but there wasnt much smoke in the tea soup. First steep after the rinse was mellow and almost salty, after which the fruitiness and sweetness became bold, and the astringency crept in around the 5-6th steep. It was smooth enough that I extended brewing time because I wanted some astringency to set it off. Tea soup was thick enough to hold little permanent bubbles. Later steeps could be chewed between the teeth.
10 grams was way too much to accommodate the unfolding leaves and in the end I had to parcel out the leaves in two vessels, which made me use more water than in the beginning. Despite being cramped, every steep was full-flavored and I got finished a steep or two before the leaves did.
I started at 100C and did not advance beyond 5s until the 6th steep. But that’s a feature of using way more leaves than you need to.
Flavors: Brown Sugar, Pear
