This is a continuation of tasting wuyi origin boutique samples kindly gifted by
@Victoria.
In the previous post, I sampled the 2019 boutique rougui 3rd roast from wuyi origins at ~$1.28/g:
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Here I sample the 4th roast at the same price point based on the website. Note that Victoria was able to get a cheaper price, just below 1$/g by doing a group buy from the China facing store. As before, this tea is supposed to be Zheng yan material (possibly Wuyuan jian) and fully hand made.
Briefly, the three roast version has a nice roast and clear peachy base leaf taste that was marred by an aggressive astringency. There was no minerality. The overall experience was interesting but not comfortable, and fell below those given by teas at much lower price points. Can a fourth roast save the tea?
As before, the dry leaf has a nice restrained fragrance. The fragrance is mostly of dried fruit and a touch of cooking spice.
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I brewed the tea as closely as I could to the way I did before using the same vessel:
Brewed 6g/80mL
Flashrinse (which I drank at the end) /6s/15s/20s/35s/45s/1min/1min30/2min/3min30/5min /10 min / steep out in mug
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The difference between this and the triple roasted tea is immediately obvious.
In the early infusions, the flavors of the roast show up first: a caramel candy sweetness that becomes bitter in a slightly burnt way starting at the second infusion. This bitterness is at the edge of being unacceptable to me: it reminds me of the black burnt flakes in the oven pan. But just before it becomes very bad, it turns candy sweet. This bitterness was not present in the triple roasted tea. The mouthfeel is also less smooth and less thick than the triple roasted tea. The spice flavors are also less than the triple roasted tea.
And then, a bit like certain romantic operatic preludes (wagnerian), the beginning tonally incomplete strokes of roast give way to the honey and peachy flavors of the oxidized leaf that linger in the aftertaste. This sweet fruity flavor is well integrated with the roast, which is in contrast to the other tea. Its haunting sweetness almost feels melancholy and nostalgic, and stops me from taking the next sip until it dies away slowly into a peppery astringency. Now this astringency is more gentle than the triple roast, but it remains a bit painful in the back of the mouth.
As infusions progress, the tea becomes more mellow and integrated in terms of roast and oxidized flavors. The mouthfeel becomes smoother and more creamy. The astringency becomes more prominent in the aftertaste, which remains fruity and dan cong like. The aftertaste is long and lingering overall. I was tasting it long after the session was complete.
Verdict
The fourth roast seemed to have balanced the tea a bit more, reducing the astringency but increasing the bitterness. Ultimately, this is a better and even more interesting experience than the third roast. However, this tea still lacks minerality; furthermore, while the astringency is less problematic, the astringency is still uncomfortable and now there is also an unpalatable bitterness.
Note that I deliberately brewed the lazy cat entry level rougui yesterday to reset my baseline expectations. The lazycat rougui also lacks minerality, but is not uncomfortably astringent or bitter.
It is interesting to experience what an additional roast can do: flavors and aromas are shifted. But since the base material is the same, the overall quality profile does not change significantly.
Personally, this session was very reminiscent of listening to certain pieces of romantic music with strong atonal features. Would I buy this tea? With other cheaper options that deliver more comfortable but similarly interesting experiences, I may have to pass for now. Some who can stomach the astringency and bitterness may find this tea masterful. Also, this tea would likely benefit from brewing in a slightly muting vessel.
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Incidentally, my wife, who only drinks bagged teas and chai (so take this with a bucket of salt) took a sip of the cooled down rinse and thought it was disgusting and reminded her of cigarette butts.
Like me, she has never smoked. I think this is a bit unfair to the tea, but it's interesting to hear the reaction of someone who isn't a fan of whole leaf tea. She also blanched when I showed her the cost and wasn't convinced when I told her it's still cheaper than drinking a pint of mid level stout at the bar
To me, the rinse is dominated by the roast and a flavor that reminds me of Lipton tea, which incidentally, I think has a tobacco character.
Edit: after mug steeping the leaves for a long time, I am finally getting something that resembles vitamin tablet minerality. It coats the mouth and is quite pleasant.
Cheers
