Ahhh, puer is an acquired taste! I bought this 100g mini cake four years ago, broke up the cake and tried to brew it, with immediate buyers remorse. So I dumped it into a mason jar and threw it on the shelf and ignored it. Now, with much more experience (but far from any expertise) I have brewed this 22 yr old sheng again (gongfu) and find it quite nice! It still has some bite to it, and a little smokiness, but now I look forward to steeping some up every few months as we mature together. Even the badly over-steeped 7th cup wasn’t bitter, and #8 has nutty notes with sawn lumber and leather tones. I stopped after 12 steepings, though the tea might have gone on a few more. Thank you Hilary (owner of the shop) for providing this experience to the denizens of your community—I’m loving it! You and your shop are appreciated. (Photos are of my actual tea cake in 2017).
Edit 11/2024: Clarified cake weight and upgraded my rating from 77 to 82 as the tea has improved, now being 25 yr old.
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Brewed up some more of this today and it has continued to improve over the past 4 yr. Now less bitter, no off-flavors or sourness. Woody, tobacco and umami flavors with a little bite. Spent leaves were a dark olive brown. 5g leaf Western style in 8 ounces boiling spring water for 30 sec. with five followup steepings for a total of 6 cups of tea. Yum!
Brewed up some more of this today and it has continued to improve over the past 4 yr. Now less bitter, no off-flavors or sourness. Woody, tobacco and umami flavors with a little bite. Spent leaves were a dark olive brown. 5g leaf Western style in 8 ounces boiling spring water for 30 sec. with five followup steepings for a total of 6 cups of tea. Yum!