I’m going to be leaving town soon, and I knew I had to try this before I left. This tea is beautiful, and I am most grateful for an opportunity to try. The leaves are long, intact, and graciously delicate. I gave them a whiff and picked up some dried and fermented fruit tones. I warmed my gaiwan up, and I got ready to brew these treasures up. I placed a fairly decent amount in my warmed gaiwan, and I let them sit. I sat back in my chair and took time to think about what this tea really is. This is a historical brew. This tea has seen more time than I have, and it has stayed intact and ready to be enjoyed. I love the idea of drinking a piece of history. I love the thought that this tea has sat waiting for decades, and it decided to show up on my doorstep. I returned back from my daydreams and lifted the gaiwan lid. I picked up so many complex tones. The aroma began with a sweet plum and then quickly moved into a spiced persimmon. This scent carried into smoothed mahogany with some candied rhubarb. The steam scents ended with some ripe pipe tobacco and remnants of tree sap. I sat for quite some time to take in this buffet of scents. I washed the leaves, and I drank the rinse. The rinse had a nice body, clean sweetness, and was subtly tangy. In my opinion, the drink itself was more for the experience rather than the taste. This is not to say that this tea tasted poorly, for it was an exquisite flavor profile. However, I have had more palette pleasing sessions. The taste begins with sweet candied dark fruit and light aged wood. This brew is subtle yet a full mouth-feel. I picked up a sweet twisted tang on the tongue after every sip. The brew moves from antiquated woods to dried red fruits. The mid session brings about a nice lasting sweetness with rustic tobacco flavors. Oddly, this brew faintly reminds me of a higher quality Old Bear Fangcha (W2T). The flavor drops off incredibly slowly and becomes sweeter and smoother. This brew is spectacularly smooth and clean throughout the entire session. I’m amazed at how this has been stored so purely for such a long span of time. The tea lasts forever and can brewed over and over. I was able to let it steep and walk away without any bitterness or astringency occurring. The final note is about the qi. The feeling this tea gifted me is something phenomenal. There is a slight and subtle feeling at the get-go. The sensation begins in the head and repeatedly rushes the body with a wave of warmth. The feeling then moves into a more whimsical flight prescience. Afterwards, the sensation calms the body and gives a debilitating effect. Finally, the sensations circulates throughout body. I experience a deep warmth and uplifted feeling. I loved this tea, and I’m grateful to experience it. I usually don’t ramble, but I always want to give the good ones their proper spotlight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_u795LTGYR/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel
Flavors: Dark Wood, Dried Fruit, Raspberry, Red Fruits, Rhubarb, Sap, Smooth, Sweet, Tobacco
