Pin is a very nice production from W2T for a reasonable price as well. In spite of being about 6 years old (on average), it seems to be aging quite fast and I would definitely place it in the semi-aged category.
The aroma of the leaves is not too complex or pungent at this stage. Main notes are those of forest, some nuts and fermented apple (which also appears in the taste). However, as the description mentions as well, drinking the tea bring aboard a very heavy fragrance that also dominates a big chunk of the aftertaste.
The taste profile is mineral, sweet, woody and coppery with notes of hops, cape gooseberry, alpine flowers and rock sugar. The aftertaste is warming with a strong spicy sweetness mixed in with a sort of quinine bitterness and mouthfeel. It is very interesting but also hard to describe in words. With teas like this, it pays off to take breaks and pay attention.
The dark orange liquor has a medium body and a foamy, buttery texture. Astringency is fairly strong, but not in an unpleasant way I’d say. I found the cha qi to be energizing and just slightly mind-numbing.
Flavors: Alcohol, Apple, Astringent, Berry, Bitter, Drying, Flowers, Forest Floor, Hops, Metallic, Mineral, Nuts, Sugar, Sweet, Wood
