16 Tasting Notes
After the initial steeps to revive the tea the leaves started to emit fruity, citrusy and grape-like scents. Main notes are definitely dominated by fruits or even dried fruits – raisins, dried apricot. After another few steeps maybe grapefruit aromas are starting to emerge and with it a mellow bitter taste too.
Flavors: Citrusy, Dried Fruit, Grapefruit, Grapes, Raisins
Preparation
A very ancient tasting ripe puerh with deep texture – applies both to the soup and the aromas. The first steeps brings out the foresty and earthy notes, and the later ones bringing the camphor and cocoa powder-like taste.
Flavors: Camphor, Wet Earth, Woody
Preparation
On the first steep I noticed vanilla like sweet scents and notes. The soup was golden honey colored. The aromas of the leaves itself strike as surprisingly fresh. With the next steeps more flowery notes are taking over the sips.
Flavors: Vanilla
Preparation
It’s a funky tasting shu with scent that overpowers the original flavors of a regular shu puerh. It has an interesting savory, rich, dark soup. Definitely not for everyone, definitely not an everyday puerh experience.
Oh and it is impossible to pour from a yixing. The consistency of the tuo cha melts down like coarser coffee ground. At least that is my experience.
Flavors: Fish Broth, Rice, Salty
Preparation
Seems to me that this oolong has a more elusive taste than “lower quality” dark oolongs. The smell and aromas are reminding me of tobacco and smoke which pairs great with the savory soup.
Flavors: Ash, Dark Wood, Smoke, Tobacco