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I feel this is between the semiaged and aged stages of sheng. A slight bitterness on the edge of the earthy flavour. The earthiness is quite faint and is enveloped in a honeyed fruity thickness. Some woody flavour also. Slightly powdery and soft mouthfeel.

It is a very different tea! The purple variety feels thinner and is more bitter than the usual stuff. The notes are sharper and more soapy than fruity and floral. Luckily this has mellowed down a bit, but could still have more body and depth. Make sure you know what this kind of tea tastes like before purchasing a whole cake.

An amazing high quality semiaged sheng with still some bitterness and no earthiness. Clear, lively, and well-defined lingering taste, and a complex fragrance with notes of vanilla, oak, chocolate, beans, and dark fruit.

The aroma of the first infusion is soft and rounded with notes of raisins and dried plums. As I sip the tea, the fragrance comes truly alive with notes of smoke, warm wood, and the characteristic honey-like aroma of Yi Wu. At times the smokiness is so strong it reminds me of Lapsang Souchong! The smokiness is accompanied by notes of tar and cocoa beans. In the aftertaste one can find the subtlest signs of aged earthiness. Quite a bitter tea, but I like it!

There is definitely a distinct Jing Mai nuttiness in the fragrance, but also grassiness and fruity. The mouthfeel is full and round, but it is dominated by a strong bitterness. The aftertaste is fruity and lingering. The tea needs to be brewed strong spite the bitterness or else it seems bland. Even then it is subtle, but enjoyable, and with age when the bitterness and grassiness transform, it might turn out to be a great tea!

I did not have high expectations regarding the taste, but as soon as I took a sip of the brew, I was amazed. The taste is clear, sweet, well defined, fruity, and in every aspect quite ‘sheng-like’. The taste covers the mouth and leaves and aftertaste of old wood, which changes to bubbling and almost minty fruitiness when I inhale. Very complex and high quality!

Definitely the best Dian Hong I’ve tasted. Maybe because according to the Global Tea Hut magazine, the tea was not rolled as long as usual. Thus the tea might be less oxidized than usual, which would explain the Oriental Beauty -like flavour.