Revisiting this cake 1 year after my previous note, although I have drunk it throughout the year several times too. Dry leaves are quite fragrant with the dominant aroma being a fairly standard sheng one – gasoline – complemented by beeswax and forest floor. The wet leaf aroma hasn’t changed that much, I can mostly smell cooked cabbage now.
First few infusions have a nice floral bitterness and taste of dry grass. The finish is somewhat sour, which continues on in the aftertaste too, which also has a distinctive honey note and induces a cooling and tickling sensation in the throat. It is a long and evolving aftertaste, better than I remember from previous sessions. There is a noticeable huigan and I notice a nice head clarity and body warmth after just the first two steeps. The mouthfeel is buttery and on the thin side.
Overall, I am really liking the progression of this tea in its first two years. It is quite a bit on the savoury side at the moment, but it is tasty and with a very nice cha qi and a strong aftertaste. A great value for the cake, that’s for sure.
Flavors: Bitter, Dry Grass, Floral, Forest Floor, Honey, Hot Hay, Menthol, Petrichor, Pleasantly Sour, Straw, Umami, Vegetables
