I dismissed this one a bit quickly after sampling it upon arrival where I got mostly wood notes and hints of what it may have once been. After letting it hang in the pumi for a month or two… I get it now.
The rinse is already a thick soup with a vibrancy that extends to the back of the throat. Lovely mouthfeel from the start.
I may have gotten the center of the cake, as the leaves are taking more than a few steeps to come apart which may have preserved these spring-like and high floral notes. Aromas reflect what’s in the cup. Spring meadows upon meadows of wild flowers and interesting complex wood notes all competing for my attention.
The first few steeps are highly floral(honeysuckle and other northern flowers) with a crisp, vegetal complexity that reminds me of dried radish greens and dried herbs. Nice complex sweet apple wood base. Depth is evident early on. Vibrancy and qi spread throughout the mouth and go down the throat into the solar plexus. Yep, I’m all plugged into this tea. This sensation is also something I picked up in the ’16 Han Gu Di, but the experience is more intense with the Da Si—probably the result of 3 years of settling into itself.
From steep 6 to 9 there’s still more to discover, as the compressed portions have yet to fully expand. It’s got a consistently thick body, but increased levels of qi and a complex sweetness (brown sugar, orchid nectar, and pungent honey) that lingers on the sides of the tongue as webs of crystalized sugar and moves straight towards the back of the throat. I’m relishing this huigan which compliments the waves of qi pulsating from my head as it floats to the ceiling.
These kinds of steeps keep on going past 10, 11, and 12. This is a nice one that all sheng pu heads should try. It’s far from my budget, but I would be most grateful if any magnanimous individuals would like to donate a sample. :)
Note: I moved the tea leaves from the gaiwan to the nixing teapot after steep 6. I suspect this is what brought out more those complex sweet notes and enhanced the mouthfeel. This is one of those mind-clarifying shengs.
