Several months later, after trying more puerhs, I’m giving this one another shot. It’s definitely better than any of the others I’ve tried so far. The dry tea leaves smell like dried tobacco leaf. It’s slightly sweet going down and does, like others pointed out, have lingering notes of apricot. It is earthy and mineral-y, but fortunately doesn’t taste like dirt or hay. As it cools, the taste becomes sweeter.
I can’t find my puerh pick (I’m letting a lot of things I can’t find go these days because I injured my ankle, got nerve damage, haven’t been able to walk… Lack of healing and quick atrophy of leg muscle is what led to my degenerative neuro-muscular disease diagnosis). This tea was sent to me in chunks, so I used an approximately 4-5 g. chunk — eyeballed it — in about 6 oz water. And I used a longer-than-usual rinse to break the leaves apart — about 40 seconds.
I like this. I can’t say it’s my favorite type of tea right now, or that I’ll ever become a shu super-fan, but it’s a major step up from the Guevara shu I tried yesterday. I thought drinking them in succession would give me more appreciation for the differences — and it really does. It has a lighter tea soup and goes down much, much easier.
I’d recommend it, but Tea Setter is no more, so I’m not sure where it can be found these days. I plan on using this as a “pretty good shu” barometer for judging what I try in the future, as I have enough for a few more sessions left.
Final note of the day: I can’t fathom getting 20 steeps out of a tea. I thought this one held up well for 7 or 8.
Flavors: Apricot, Earth, Sweet, Tobacco, Wet Earth
Next day: Wow, this tea really stuck around for something that seemed so mild. I could still taste it last night when I went to bed, an hour or so after the last cup, after I brushed my teeth.