Hmm. So, is this going to taste like rocks? What kind of rocks? In my childhood I licked more than a few rocks, found them perfectly palpable until my mother took them away from me.Rocks like these rocks?
Regarding Rou Gui and what the rocks look like in the Wuyi mountains where this tea grows, I am not able to tell you and as a first time rock tea drinker I am not writing to compare or judge or offer lengthy tasting notes to help you decide if this is a tea you, yourself would want to try. I can tell you however, that I waited until I had a Rou Gui Smacha was offering before trying this tea at all, turning down more than a few other samples until I could have this. I know if it comes from Smacha it will be a wonderful representative of the tea. New to tea? A little concerned about this 'rock flavor' you hear about? No worries, this is a complex yet soft and easy to drink tea that makes me feel like I am there in the Wuyi mountains, crouched between large rocks and tasting everything; the air, the soil, the ancient rocks, the fresh leaves, the very chi of the place. Loving this experience and highly recommend, based on my newbie impressions that you purchase some of this and travel yourself to those mountains in your mind this tea longs to take you.
I used six grams in my Smacha Auto-brewer with 205f water. I have only just finished the first steep, and first steep was lovely. Off to do it again. And again, and perhaps, again once more? This tea feels like it could have quite a few steeps in it, but even if it turns out to be only three, it will be three interesting, long-lingering, special energy steeps and I can't wait to find out more about 'rock' teas, thanks to this sample from the wondrous Smacha!
