The look of these buds is like no other tea I’ve seen. They’re a potpourri looking mix of deep reddish-purple, gold and greenish buds. There was little scent until I got them into a warm gaiwan. The buds smell very heavily of green bean and pea, lots of wood notes as well. The flavor is like a smoked wood, more woody than smokey, with some subtle notes of green bean. There’s a “dirtiness” to the taste that is a lot like a ripe Shu Puerh. It has some of those leathery, peat-like qualities.
This tea seems like a cousin of Ya Bao. It has similar woody qualities, just a lot more woody and beany and not having the fruity sweetness of Ya Bao. About four steepings in, I’m getting really similar flavors and coming to the conclusion that there isn’t particularly anything popping out that I am going to enjoy in this tea.
My interest in this tea came primarily from the fact that I just learned about purple teas and wanted to try some. I requested this as a sample with an order of Purple Sunset Oolong, which is made from the Kenyan purple cultivar. This Puerh is from Yunnan.
Please take other reviews into account when considering my rating. This is based on personal tastes and not on the quality of the tea.
Flavors: Green Beans, Leather, Peas, Smoked, Wood
