No idea why I got a sample except maybe I wanted to check a box that I drank a Feng Qing 7813 in my mental notebook and have it for reference what 7813 tasted like.
First 2 steeps after rinses were a bit musty. This tea needs 3 rinses. Otherwise very clean.
Bud-heavy sheng doesn’t age well generally but this tea is doing fine. I do not think it will age much more, get better, or turn into anything great, but where it is now its in a decent spot. I would not buy this with the intention to age it, or even to drink it slowly. This is a tea that needs to be consumed sooner than later.
That said, its a solid daily drinker. (I think “daily drinker” is over used for many teas that are lackluster but not “bad”, just not good. Daily drinker to me doesn’t mean “average” or “doesn’t suck”. Rather it means it hits all the satisfying notes a tea should have but in a manner that is just “less” than higher end more expensive material so you get a solid tea session without the price, and without being tea drunk or knocked out by the tea’s power)
It hits all the notes of a good tea but just in a more subtle and short-lasting effect. There are some flaws but they’re minor. Like there’s a bit of metallic flavor in the aftertaste on the edges of the tongue. Minor stuff.
Thicker/creamy mouthfeel, sweet gentle floral flavor, lingering sweet floral after taste, huigan, no catch in throat, no astringency, deep breaths and relaxation, calming without sedating, and not boring or bland, leaves mouth wet and not cloying.
At $40/cake this is a deal reminiscent of the $32 W2T Repave deal a few years ago. I would not pay $50 for this tea, but at $40 its not bad at all if you’re on a budget.
