This sample is hanging around for a while. I think it is time to drink it.
This is a general reminder to myself. Drink them. Don’t wait too long - compared to whole cakes they don’t actually age
well.
Quite the opposite: They will lose their taste & flavor.
Now this all sounds bad, but don’t worry. The sample for today did not suffer too much - so let’s jump right into it!
The tea starts off with quite an unpleasant smoky taste. I recommend to rinse it a few times. Just for the sake of the
age…it has been a while since 2006! :)
The tea gets rolling with quite intensive astringent and Camphor-like aroma. Nothing that I dislike in particular - but
I know this is will not be for everyone.
After a couple more rounds the tea develops a nice character. A good amount of sweetness comes into play, also herbal
notes, which in sum gives the tea a medicine-like character. In general it reminds me
of the “typical” Liming taste. At least for the teas I had from there. Astringency is still present, but not as strong
as in the beginning and instead is replaced/enhanced by a grassy note.
In summary: It is a good tea for someone who does not know what Sheng Puerhs are about at all and for those who might
not be able to appreciate the more expensive teas.
For me personally: I am happy that I did not go for the whole cake. Mainly for the reason that I have daily drinkers
that suit my taste better.
Maybe it is your thing. And that’s the great thing of just purchasing a sample instead of a whole cake! :)
Rating
2.5/5
Tasting Diagram
Statistics & Reference
- Brewing time: Start with very short steepings 1-3s due to the strength of the tea
- Purchased for 10$ (25g sample)
- Vendor & Link