I don't know a thing about this tea, I tell you laughingly, but I still have to write about while it lingers on my palate! I drank first and researched second.
After a great piece of advice from a tea friend about yesterdays Dian Hong to brew 2.5 grams in a 6 ounce gaiwan, I did the same thing with the Sun, Moon, Lake.
Sipped first rinse, nothing much, but pow!!! The first steep the scent coming out of the gaiwan was amazing, and from the first steep to the fourth, (which is where I paused to write this,) it was miraculous.
This was a gift from Golden Leaf Tea and I bow so deeply to them for this experience that my forward smacks the floor. (The proverbial, non-literal floor. I am old, I do it in my mind while I write from my rocker.)
I'm off now to play around with this some more, and to ask my tea-expert friends their suggestions on how to brew it properly, for if I got it to be so good this first, fumbling attempt, I almost cannot imagine what it will be like brewed to perfect parameters.
Here is what I learned...
"Nearly 80 years ago, the first Assam cultivar was brought to the hills around Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan. 80 years of cultivation and research later, #18 Red Jade is born. We are proud to introduce the Sun Moon Lake Tea – a black tea that brews to a deep earthy red color, with hints of cinnamon, camphor, roasted chestnut and malt. It is a robust tea but the tannins are well controlled and balanced, resulting in a creamy and smooth mouthful. Never bitter or astringent. A rare and truly outstanding tea."
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| (Treat yourselves nice, and go get some of this tea!) |