I was a bit hesitant opening the bag with this tea: it looked suspiciously like one more gimmick of trying to sell an unfinished product on its novelty. I never had tea nuggets before. I should admit that I was totally (and pleasantly!) mistaken.
This tea has a surprisingly pleasant dry leaf aroma for a shu : fragrant hay, stone fruit, old books. The first steeps ( I had it Western at 212) were mild and very sweet. I was able to pick up stone fruit (including peach and cherry), dried apples, lake water, honey, warm hay, and molasses. So yeah, this ripe puerh unexpectedly tasted very much like a fruity oolong – only at the tail the familiar earthy bitterness of shou made a brief entrance.
The latest steeps added mushrooms and rose to the nose and mild rose, marmalade, rock candy, burnt sugar, blueberries, gooseberries and some general sourness to the palate. The taste was somewhat reminiscent of Liu Bao, especially the long aftertaste.
To summarize, this is a ripe puerh that with a pleasant and complex fragrance and aroma. It evolves with subsequent steepings. It possesses a unique character. It has a good long aftertaste. And last bot not least – these tea nuggets are incredibly convenient for easy picking just the right amount of tea to brew.
If this tea has some weak spots I was unable to find them yet. It was one of the most enjoyable ripe puerhs that I tried so far.
Flavors: Blueberry, Burnt Sugar, Candied Apple, Candy, Dried Fruit, Honey, Hot Hay, Molasses, Mushrooms, Paper, Pleasantly Sour, Rose, Stonefruit, Sweet, Warm Grass
I love this one.