92

Dry leaves smell somewhat fruity, but it’s not a really memorable smell. However, the wet leaf srome is more enticing. There are notes of compost, conifer forest and roasted nuts. In the empty cup I get mosly sugarcane and floral/pollen notes.

The smell is not where the tea wins me over though. It pales a bit in comparison with both the taste and mouthfeel. The taste is a balanced mix of tart, fruity, vegetal and bitter. The main flavours I get are menthol, citrus fruits and papaya, and bread crust. There is definitely quite a bit of astringency around, but I didn’t find it to be stealing the show. The mouthfeel is really lovely – thick, creamy and cooling. The aftertaste is fairly long and transformative. It starts off quite dry and floral, but over time gets really sweet and a little spicy.

Later steeps become very potent as the bitterness hits-in-your-face. They retain the full body still, it’s just a bit harder to pick up nuances of the tea as a result of how strong it is. The tea definitely has something going on in the cha qi department. However, I started this session in a fairly non-standard state of mind so it’s hard to compare to other teas. At first it made me really dreamy, but later I felt like it helped clear my mind from clutter and focus, still inducing a calming state though. I also got a tingling sensation down the back of my neck.

This is my favourite sheng I have tried so far in the ~0.1$/g category and it is comparable to the best ones from the 0.2$/g category I got from YS. Highly recommended, given the price/quality ratio. Personally, I will be aiming to get a cake in my next YS order.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Bread, Citrus Fruits, Compost, Creamy, Flowers, Fruity, Menthol, Roast Nuts, Sugarcane, Sweet, Tart, Thick

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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Bio

Hi, I am a researcher in math, physics and computer science. Apart from teas and mathematics, I enjoy sports and traveling, as well as music of all kinds. Connect at https://rateyourmusic.com/~Togo

I had been drinking Japanese green tea for a while before discovering the world of tea in 2017. I rarely drink blends and generally avoid artificially scented teas. Other than that I try to keep it varied.

My rating description:
100 _ Unforgettable tea, an experience that changes your life.
90 – 100 _ Excellent tea.
80 – 90 _ Very enjoyable, I will buy again.
70 – 80 _ I enjoyed it, but I most likely won’t be buying it again.
60 – 70 _ Decent.
50 – 60 _ Average, forgettable.
40 – 50 _ I didn’t really like the tea, but it is drinkable.
0 – 40 _ I would prefer to avoid the tea.

Location

Innsbruck, Austria

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