Hello,
Not easy to describe one's taste in general, much more when trying it in a language not your own. Even worse when one knows of one's very limited tea-knowledge.
Some weeks ago, I ordered some teas from Teaspring and put them on reserve while finishing the Lochans.
So, yesterday morning, I opened the bag with: Wei Shan Mao Jian.
Smell? Uh? Oh, well, you probably are not awake yet and chinese teas _do_ smell funny sometimes.
Not remembering neither description nor brewing recommendations I gave it my usual "first try" 3 min.
After the first sip, smell was even more smoky, I can tell I was wide awake!
Has anyone ever smelled a messy geese and duck yard on a humid November morning when clouds hang low and the smoke of cheap brown coal briquettes won't rise and keeps creeping over the soil?
Well. when a kid, we had such a place in the neighborhoods.
With a formidable impact, those, not so pleasant, memories came up when tasting this tea. Funny, what our senses can do with us.
I could not finish my first cup and brew a Long Jing instead better prepared to that one.
Of course, I had to try the Wei Shan Mao Jian again in further brewings. What can I say? it's getting better, the geese and ducks are still in the background though;-))
There are more bags waiting, so I better prepare for further trips on Memory Lane ;-))
roland
------ I too am visited by angels and devils, but I get rid of them. When it is an angel I pray an old prayer, and he is bored; When it is a devil I commit an old sin, and he passes me by.
Khalil Gibran