Let me preface this by saying I didn't Gong Fu this brew.
In fact, my technique would probably cause a number of you to recoil in horror, hahah.
I'm a little limited at work but wanted to try this sample that Nicolas so kindly sent me.
- Dry sample
- dry.jpg (38.81 KiB) Viewed 1434 times
So using hot water from the company water cooler, my coffee mug and a coffee filter; I proceeded to brew some up. No exact measurement, just a chunk about the size of my thumb tip. Did the rinse and about a 30 second first brewing. I shared some with a co-worker and she said it was a bit earthy for her tastes but enjoyable. My first impression was that even though the liquor is the color of a strong coffee, this shu has a very mild flavor.
- In the mug
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Straw, a bit of earth, a hint of leather. Nothing was overwhelming. At least batch 601 did not have the fishy/pond aroma and flavor that I heard 602 has. The mild flavor lasted through 3 large infusions, and started to fade in the 4th. I'm on my 6th now and while there is still something there, I can't really make any distinctions. The most striking characteristic that has remained strong is a coppery tastes and aftertaste that lingers for quite a while after drinking. I can't determine much from the wet leaves, but there are a goodly number of twigs mixed in.
This is only my second pu so I'm no expert. Proper brewing might yield better results and so might some more aging. I can't say. I think I am going to make some chai later though to see if that gets rid of this coppery taste.
