Impressions after one session: The tea is only 1 year old at this point so of course a fermentation flavor is present in the form of a distinct licorice note, strongest in the first steep, later mostly in the aftertaste, but not at all offensive to me. The tea tastes of coffee and chocolate, sweet and warming, especially when the steep times are pushed a little bit. Less earthiness than I expected. Hint of menthol/mint in the aftertaste. The liquor does not feel particularly viscous and its color range from coffee to reddish brown depending on steeping time. The wet tea leaves has a distinct nutty smell but very little earthiness. The dry cake smells very clean and pleasant. There is nothing offensive or funky about this tea. I got about 6 really good steeps out of this, then it went downhill but still perfectly drinkable for another couple of infusions.
This is a very friendly tea and I enjoyed drinking it quite a bit. I paid $25 USD for a 357 gr bing and at that price I find it to be fabulous value for money. I suspect this tea will benefit from a few more years of storage but it’s good even as it is. I shall consider buying a few more bings for later. A great daily drinker.
Brewed gongfu. Water @ 95C. 7 grams in a 90 ml yixing pot. Steep times about 5/5/10/10/15/25.
Flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Licorice, Nuts
