I love being the first to review tea!
I really liked this, and it was somewhat different than most Shou. The leaves included large thin flaked leaves and some big sticks. These dried leaves carried a slight fermentation and earth scent. I placed a bunch in my warmed gaiwan and shook it up. The scent was really unusual. It was of sharp fruits (bitter tasting) and ash. There was also a strange iron cake sheng aroma in the background. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. I brewed this really heavy, so I knew I was in store for some powerful tones. The liquor was a thick blackened red. The aroma of the leaves became deeper and more prominent. The same bitter sheng scent came off the leaves. However, this sheng tone was not present in the flavor. The taste was really good. The initial sip wasn’t all that complex, but it was otherwise delicious. The taste begins dry and slightly earthy, and it ends with a dry cacao flavor. This cacao flavor becomes more intense and builds up in an almost huigan sense. There is a nice stimulating mouth-feel in the brew. The cacao scent becomes more rich, and its almost like eating a dry hot cocoa packet. The qi was not overly powerful, but it was a nice head buzz with some scalp prickling. This sensation builds a little bit, and it follows throughout the session. I recommend this brew. This is perfect if you like dry, rather than silky, chocolate tones in shou.
I really enjoyed this tea. I’m surprised that I’m the first to review.https://instagram.com/p/9Rw8umzGbM/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel
Flavors: Ash, Cacao, Chocolate, Cocoa, Dark Bittersweet, Decayed Wood, Drying, Earth
