Steep 9 I pour on my water and it still turns dark right away, its not going to give up anytime soon, Different, this time no nuttyness, more smokiness and very nice, almost how you would imagine a really nice Oolong and Smoked Lapsang blend, perfection. The aroma of the wet leaves is still very "camphor" like.
Steep 10 ok perhaps I steeped it a tad long this time( a very short almost flash steep was needed but i was looking at the computer lol) the smokiness is heavier and the slight burned flavor is back but not so bad tastes almost like a Smoked Lapsang now lol nuttiness is back now tho and it is quite pleasant, smell like Oolong in the cup but Lapsang in the gaiwan .
Steep 11 Omg! same deal as steep 9 steeps up dark right away still I like this teas endurance, same basic flavors as steep 9 smokey and nice but with some nuttiness again and natural sweetness coming thru again, honestly kinda PUERHish in some ways.
Steep 12 is just a dark as before with the same type flavors notes but very smokey, i'm going to skip ahead a few steeps now, ok Steep 15 and it has gone very mellow and earthy even, still smokey and slightly nutty it is starting to remind me of a nice well aged naturally fermented Puerh, This has turned out to be quite a complex tea, I like it.
Steep 17 again the last 2 steeps were still pretty consistent with the few steeps before them, Smokey, Nutty, slightly sweet naturally, I'm going to stop talking notes now and steep till 20 times then I'll write about the 20th steep Thats where I decide to stop even if the tea is still going lol.
Ok Steep 20 was one of the best just take all I said before and add it up and balance it all out perfectly and that was the 20th cup, I hate to give up on this one but 20 cups of one type tea is just a bit much for me today but I enjoyed it a lot.
At first I thought that this tea may have been over roasted, then I thought maybe not, then after the whole thing is over I have to say that I DO think it may have been a little over roasted because after 20 steeps all day and the leaves were still rolled tight and strangest of att they were still hard and "crunchy:, I took one in my fingers and crushed it like it was still dry AFTER 20 steeps lol(you can see it in the photo crumbled in my hand), I don't know what to think, VERY GOOD TEA!!!
Dry Leaf
2nd steep
Wet Leaf
12th Steep
12th Steep
20th Steep
Leaf after 20 steeps
Crushed leaf after 20 Steep, they were still "hard" and uncurled.
This tea has been roasted many times over the years, which accounts for its heavy flavor. I love your idea of "flash" steeping - and amazed you got 20 steeps!
ReplyDeleteIt was heavy roasted for sure, I always used "Flash" steeps usually even just pour water of then straight back off but I just learned the term "Flash Steep" recently when I was reading another blog from a guy name Lance so I think it was actually his Idea, I just borrowed the term :)
ReplyDeletecheck his blog out too http://lancesteacoffebooze.blogspot.com/