02/10/2021

Imperial Grade Laoshan Green from Shandong

Wet leafDry leafTea in the cup!Tea in the good ol' beaker

Infusions

  1. The color change from dry to wet leaf was incredible. Went from a dark metal green to a bright jade - real cool to watch with the lid off. It's also nuts how much the wet leaf smells like a good bbq sauce after it cools. Funky. Mouthfeel is really jelly-like, as if it's quickly melting in your mouth. That sensation bursts into a savory taste that's both wide and bright, a surprising amount of umami body for how clear the liquor appears. It's got a bit of a tofu note, very delicate with woody backup aromas. This tea's got that chalky savory freshness aspect you often find with matcha. The finish is clear and brothy, like a miso soup. There's a slow dryness that's very slight and competes with the wetness(?) to feel both juicy and evaporating at the same time.
  2. The smell of the wet leaf is grassier and darker. Smells savory, but more like roasted salmon skin. The flavor is much more intense and a bit all over the place. It's good but it feels windy. Like a tea I wanna drink outside on a breezy sping morning. The umami it's leaving in the mouth on the finish is strong.
  3. Wet leaves have a bit of a rubber-like smell to them. There's a mineral sweetness going on with that matcha note but gentler. Prolly time to kick it up 5 degrees. A bit of a weedy aspect to this one.
  4. Way sweeter, super soft and smooth, a bit of a charcoal note but very slight and not smokey.
  5. Drank a couple more steeps with the same results as the above
  6. ...
  7. Smooth, creamy, and reaching the end of its little green life but still has a lot to give in the tea afterlife