I enjoyed this sample more than I recall enjoying the 2015 Poundcake – I would not say that this one is better or anything, perhaps just that I brewed it differently or have different tastes/expectations than when I tried last year’s. This tea is just really solid. The dry leaf has a nice sugary sweet smell.
The flavors are quite nice and evocative of the tea’s name. There’s a bit of a dairy vibe to it, both in thick texture and the flavor. I get notes of vanilla and occasional hints of cinnamon. The tea is quite sweet, but there is also a pleasant bitterness behind the sweetness that prevents it from being cloying. Despite the bitterness to balance it out, this tea is still incredibly sweet and heavy – I had to get up mid-session to grab a bite to eat as I was starting to feel a little bit sick. The qi hit me pretty hard right around then – I felt it in my belly and also as some pressure in the front of my head. It got pretty intense before I had my snack. Good stuff, this.
Flavors: Bitter, Milk, Sugar, Sweet, Thick, Vanilla
