Mystery Shou Tuocha aka as Chinese Apothecary Tuocha
Herb Depot Toronto
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Sadly, this is my first and only tea for the day.
However, this tea is easily drinkable, very cheap, and is a pretty good entry into shou and is cheap enough that I don't feel guilty if I don't steep it into exhaustion.
The tuocha itself is composed of the broken leaves you expect from cheap tuocha. There are flecks of gold among the dark leaves.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B04XXZKzObY1ekxEeFV3aVNpYXM/edit?usp=docslist_api
The scent of the tuocha is pretty innocuous, a little bit barn yardy, but no fishy smell. I have always rinsed the tuocha, but I think I could get away without it with this tea.
The first steeps brew very dark and gradually fade to a peachy brown, gold colour.
I usually steep it in a 120ml gaiwan.
The brewed scent includes: camphor leather, smoke, red fruit, cocoa, a bit of a yeast note.
My first steep is usually between 2-5s and I increase in 2 second intervals until it weakens at which, I increase intervals. This tea has lasted me over 16 steeps before, though I have had more resilient Tuocha before.
The first steeps can be dense in texture and coffee like, but the tea yields flavour notes of : cream, red fruit, cocoa, earth, caramel, ash, insence smoke, smoke, camphor, cedar, loam, a slight marine vegetative note and malt and yeast.
Towards later steeps the tea becomes sweeter with cream and fruit and caramel notes having higher prominence. The tea is quite smooth though there is a cooling spice sensation that develops in the aftertaste.
Altogether easy to drink and it makes me less afraid of trying their Sheng.
Next time:-)!
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