Infusions

1. Oily with some astringency that wasn't in the rinse - I sipped the rinse. Some tamale shell, masa-like complexity in the body, along with some woodiness. A touch of bitterness, a touch of smokiness. The finish is humid and otherwise subtle in aroma and flavor.
2. The wet leaf has a bit of a violet/grape smell to it as well as summer vegetation. Flavor has a bright bitterness that's pleasant along with a fuller body than previously. Mouthfeel is slick and clean. Very spicy, woody, with some root vegetables or woody vegetation.
3. Now the wet leaf has more of an incense smell with a bit of dry earth. Some metallic bitterness has come out with an aroma that's reminiscent of large, old trees. Cooling finish with more of an astringent pull. Cha qi's feelin like increased head pressure and my legs are subtly tingly, but all over very calm and collected.
4. Chocolatey smoke on the water with elusive heavy spices. Noticing some cream.
5. Soil notes coming through but not an offputting soil note to my tastes, definitely on the drier side. Some cinnamon and Chinese five-spice.
6. Dark chocolate and loamy soil. Very thick body with a mid-strength fertilizer-like finish.
7. Quite similar to the previous.
8. Sunflower seeds, loam, and bamboo.
9. Sun roasted, dry, black dirt.
10. Becoming smoother and creamier - bitterness is almost null.
11. ...fast forward to Day 2. I tried some more of this tea in my Jianshui pot and oh man does it mesh well. It takes down some of those soily loam notes and rounds out some of the burly side, providing a better mouthfeel albeit a bit more noise in the body. Never noticed that fertilizer-like finish running through all the previous steeps again in the Jianshui. Noticing quite a bit of florals + the ability to pull more out of this tea this far in w/ the higher heat retention of the pot. Personally, I found the Jianshui to create a better experience suited to my tastes for this particular tea.
12. Earthy florals with some big milky spice and fun.