"Sweet Potato" Xiao Zhong

Description

Origin: Wu Yi Shan Area of Fujian
Varietal: Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong
Altitude: 500-550m
Picking: Bud and top two leaves

Know your tea: The processing and roasting of this tea were done with the intention of creating a black tea that would be full-bodied, aromatic, yam-like, sweet, and slightly toasty, (just like a baked sweet potato). The wet leaf even has a slightly lemony and spicy aroma and this tea is certainly a delight for serious tea drinkers.

Ingredients: 100% pure tea

Tasting Notes: Roasted sweet potato, tangerine, chili

Liqueur Body: Strong, thick, full-bodied, rich. Would appeal to Lapsung Suchong lovers as it has a slightly bitter aftertaste that lasts and a roasted aroma. 

Pairing Suggestion: Sweet, creamy desserts, for a contrast pairing. 

Preparation

We encourage you to experiment with the amount of leaves, amount and temperature of water, and infusion times to reach your preferred strength of tea,  but here's a suggestion for this particular tea: 

Pro Tip:

Rinse your tea before the first infusion, to 'awaken' the leaves. You can do this by just submerging the leaves in warm water at the prescribed temperature for each particular tea, and then discarding that water. This will also preheat the vessel and prevent the water temperature from drastically falling during the infusion. 

Most reinfusions require the same or higher temperatures than the first infusion because the leaves will already be moist, but the time for each reinfusion will first reduce till a certain number of reinfusions, and then it will need to be increased till you've maxed out the potential of the leaves.