This pu’erh does not have the musty, fishy aroma that I’ve been accustomed to withloose leaf pu’erhs. Not that that’s a bad thing since I’m not really a fan of pu’erh. The liquid, after a 3 to 5 minute brew, is extremely dark, like a dark coffee. The straight pu’erh, without additives, has a bit of a spicy undertone. The aroma is slightly perfumed and earthy. The flavor- well it’s full bodied, but it’s hard to describe the flavor as it seems unique. I added a little Splenda to see if that would make the flavor stand out. It did make it seem little more earthy/musty, but not in a bad way. This is probably a good way to ease into the world of pu’erh teas.