TeaSpring Yang Yan Gou Qing

Another mystery sample sent from one of the TeaChat guys, selected randomly for a morning tasting.

This one is a green tea by the looks of it (although color alone doesn't really define a tea's category that simply).

I steeped the first infusion at about 180*F, but for way too long.

The resulting brew smells astringent and grassy, but still not bad despite careless time management.

The on the tongue, the tea is thick and heavy, rolling with a flavor I can't yet define.

The liquid's color reminds me of amber or wheat.

For the second infusion, I went with one minute just below 180*F.

The color of the liquid this time is a bit more in the yellow-green spectrum, and the scent is decidedly less pronounced.

The taste is now much more like what I tend to associate with a Chinese green tea, but I think it's got a bit less bite due to the long first infusion.

For the third infusion, I use water just above 180*F for about 2 minutes, based on the guess that I took a lot out in that first long infusion.

The color and scent this time fall somewhere between the extremes of the first 2 infusions. It smells sweet and pleasant.

The beverage itself is on the upper end of mildly astringent, non-grassy, and carries a nice flavor.

Considering how well this tea stood up under sloppy preparation, I expect it will prove itself when handled properly.