3g · 80ml Jingdezhen porcelain gaiwan · crab-eye water (just below a full boil)
The dry leaves open with the scent of dried bamboo leaves, leaning more towards the thicker texture of bamboo husk than fresh greenery. A faint woodiness sits beneath, accompanied by a restrained note of dried jujube and the gentle warmth reminiscent of an aged roasted oolong after its fire has settled. The aroma is remarkably clean, free from any impression of dampness, with a fresh, composed character throughout.
Warming the gaiwan brings forward a delicate fruity acidity, recalling hawthorn paste, layered over light roasting and soft wood. Once infused, the liquor reveals notes of dried fruit, subtle propolis, bamboo leaves and a quiet herbal freshness.
The liquor has a medium body with good fluidity and a soft texture. A very fine, sand-like grain lends structure without becoming rough, while the palate remains clean, with neither noticeable puckering nor tongue-coating astringency. The aromatic profile stays close to the liquor rather than projecting outward, moving through dried reeds, bamboo, sun-dried grasses and pale green wood, before settling into restrained impressions of dried jujube, hawthorn and crabapple.
What lingers most is not a single aroma, but the tea's sense of balance. The fragrance and texture remain closely integrated from the first infusion to the last, without dramatic shifts in intensity. Rather than seeking immediate impact, it gradually encourages a slower pace of drinking. Quiet, understated and composed, it is a tea that reveals itself through time rather than through surprise.
