Wai Shan Xiao Zhong is a good everyday rock red tea. Small black leaf tendrils produce a juicy reddish-brown infusion with a golden edge.
The aroma is smoky, sweet with bread and berry acidity. The palette here is quite broad: honey, baked goods, bread crust, dessert chocolate, roasted sugar, cherries, dried plums, dried apricots and suddenly the smell of a campfire. The tea is roughly heated, making the smoke intrusive and causing a dry mouthfeel.
The taste is mostly sweet, with smoky bitterness and berry-like acidity. The texture of the tea is rough, with almost no astringency. The aftertaste is long, soft and sweet.
This tea will pull you out from under the comforter, cheer you up and give you an energetic start to any activity.
How to brew
1) Strait Gaiwan. You will need good water of 80-85°C and time. Do not drain the first infusion. Hold the second flow for 10 seconds, increase the next flow by 10-15 seconds each. In general, feel it.
2) Boiling in a glass kettle on a gas burner or stove. The most important thing is not to bring the tea to a boil, but to boil it in water at a high temperature (80°C) for about 3 minutes.
3) Brew in a glass or thermos. Pour 2 grams of good red water at 80°C and let stand for 3-5 minutes.