I was very excited to get a sample of this from Dexter. I really enjoy sichuan food, and this sounded down right intriguing. And it is.
The dry leaf smells like cinnamon and vanilla – really lovely but not that unique. Steeped for 2min after a quick rinse, the smell of it changes completely. Instead of the sweet smells of the dry leaf, I notice ginger sharpness, sichuan pepper and a mustiness. The same notes come out on the palette. Ginger, sichuan pepper, mustiness, earth and just a hint of sweetness and licorice on the finish. And of course, the characteristic numbing effect. As it cools there’s also a bit of smokiness.
Second steep is much more ginger, earth and sichuan pepper. The mustiness falls away and I don’t detect any more licorice.
The third steeping is mostly ginger and earth.
This is really different from anything I’ve tried before and I think I quite like it. My experience with pu’erhs is pretty limited, but this is in a whole different ballpark than any of the flavoured pu’erhs I’ve tried.
I doubt everyone will like this, but I think it’s worth trying.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Earth, Ginger, Licorice, Musty, Pepper, Smoke, Spicy, Sweet, Vanilla
