#TodaysTea – Spring, 2018; var. fuding dabai/fuyun no.6; Tongmuguan, #Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian; 1 bud 2 leaves; pine wood smoked; 1200m.

Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 1-2min.@95-100deg. C

Dry leaf aroma: smokey, piney, cassia bark, dry ginger, hint of black cardamom;
Wet leaf aroma: pine, camphor, wood fire, resinous, sharp, acrid;
Liquor: red coluor with notable cinnamon character, and hints of ginger, and mace: a sweet and spicy aroma;
Mouthfeel: thick, syrupy, tingling, soft, lingering spicyness, mouthwatering, late mild bitterness;
Taste: sweet, smokey, bitter orange, with retronasal floral notes and long lingering sweet finish; when cool there are strong hints of tangerine;

Opinion: This is a very enjoyable black tea.

I’m finding more and more, that I prefer to brew well oxidized teas for shorter lengths of time, and to let the tea cool in the cup before drinking it, as the heat seems to hide a lot of the tea’s character.