2016 W2T Tuhao as F*ck

// Published July 24, 2016 by mgualt

5g/70ml gaiwan [5.0]

Lots of silvery tips visible among the dark green-black leaves. Fruity sweet aroma on the dry leaf.  No smoke discernible on the warmed damp leaf.

An unmistakable and strong oolong aroma on wet leaf. Very light wash but signs of juiciness and some light smoke.

  1. Early steeps: no smoke, very nice oolong experience. Aroma and taste. pungent aroma, wildflower, weeds, honey, but oolong in nature.  Throat clearing, phlegm, light aftertaste. Some Matcha comes through. Medium thickness and some soft tannins beginning.
  2. Mid-steeps: strong green tea taste, but pleasant. Some salivating starting, heat starts in the abdomen. Big sweet huigans, tannins spreading over whole mouth, but reasonably soft. I can see that one might want to age out the tannins here.  Very low bitterness.
  3. Steeps 8-11: stronger tannins, heat remaining in belly, not radiating, sweet huigan with a strawberry-like acidity at best. Oolong dies out and leaves become more vegetable soup, dying out.

The qi effect was quite low throughout the session but about 15 minutes later there was a delayed-onset qi whole-body warming which was medium strength, pleasant, gentle.  This tea is not like any 2016 W2T tried so far. There was some oolong in the Mystic and in the Head, but nothing near as strongly oolong as this. Must try again to see if oolong thing is a problem.

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