Tasting Notes — Documented Tea Sessions

Every tasting note on Steep Atlas follows a standardized ten-dimension evaluation protocol designed for consistency and reproducibility. Same vessel (100ml white porcelain gaiwan), measured leaf weight, controlled water temperature, timed steeps.

Each session documents: dry leaf appearance and aroma, wet leaf aroma after rinse, liquor color and clarity, flavor across three phases (front palate, mid-development, finish), mouthfeel and body, huigan (回甘, returning sweetness), qi (氣, body sensation), steep progression across the full session, and value assessment — price per gram relative to the experience delivered.

Quality and value are scored separately on a 1–10 scale with defined ranges. The goal: any reader can take the same tea, follow the same parameters, and compare their experience directly. Reproducibility over mystification.

Tasting notes include vendor names, real prices in USD, and honest verdicts including whether the tea warrants repurchase. Sessions are documented from actual gongfu practice, not press samples or vendor descriptions.