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After a month of rest the reek of fish food dissipated and the cake became inviting. Sticking my nose in the bag brought hallucinations of gingerbread men wearing lederhosen managing a German bakery. Evidence that branding works. They seemingly do both savory and sweet, not shy with their use of salt and cinnamon. Definitely a bakery worth returning to.

Now the basket of dried berries that emanate from the leaves pre steep will certainly please most noses, it’s the complex gastronomic spoon of creamy autumnal vegetable soup when the leaves get wet that will bring forth the fullest pleasures. A medium mouthful that gets things right.

Imagine you are walking through a forest and stumble across a large beehive. You step closer, and then closer. When suddenly the smell of the most complex honey drifts towards, you question, to quote Tom Waits, “What’s he building in there?” I will be returning to find out.

Dried apricots before the water touches the good stuff. Floral cherries and mild astringency when wet. Don’t let your shaky hands drop the gaiwan like I did during my session. Breathe.

What comes to mind when one reflects on cola? Sticky linoleum flooring at the cinema? Type 2 diabetes? A shou puerh cake? Cola, clearly, is in the eye of the beholder. After its long journey across the Pacific the cake deserves rest and only then will inspire questions. Pretty tasty and not much else to say.

Is the nose of dried grapes and visions of gyrating California Raisins influenced by the purple wrapper? Possibly. But once rinsed it won’t matter because the memories of grandpa’s cheap cigars and grandma’s cheaper black tea will take over. And this ain’t entirely a bad thing! The tea for the children is the tea for the future, no?

Don’t rush. There is a pleasure in enjoying the bowl of dry fruits these leaves emit before steeping. Embrace this. Natural perfumes are born after the rinse, inviting you to sit closer to the lady. There must be something going on there in Laos. Medium mouth, an astringent bouquet. Hide away some for the Spring mornings to come.

A dark and heavy mouthful that keeps the gongfu going and going and going. Bready, sweet dough. A molasses ale that bakes well in the oven. The longer those later steeps go might just be what the innards need.