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So its been a while since I’ve had a review on here. Too busy with work and other stuff. I wish I could review more. I have time for this one. Thankfully, because it would be a crime not to let other fellow steepsterites just how good this one is, IMHO, of course. It is a very smooth shou. It has pretty much no fermentation to it. I do get some slight tobacco notes towards the finish. Nothing to harsh, don’t get scared by that if that’s not your thing. You may not even be able to tell them if you smoke cigars or anything like that. I feel this tea does better at about 200° instead of boiling. The leaves are bigger than I’m used to seeing in shous. The aroma from it is very nice and easy on the nose. Overall, I am really digging this one. I will definitely be buying this one again. No doubt about it. Gets you some!

So I cold brewed this overnight. I’ve also had it hot. It is good hot, but it is great cold brew. It is amazingly refreshing. It develops a very sweet note with a hint of vegetal and honey. It brews pretty much no color cold. I was surprised to pull it out of the fridge and see no color. I expected it to have no flavor. I was very wrong. I think I will keep cold brewing this especially when summer comes around. You have to try this cold brew at least once.

Pulled this out tonight for the first time. Broke off 10 grams for 160 ml. This tea is very weak and the first couple of steeps. Does get a little stronger the next few steeps but there really isn’t much to this tea. A bit of astrigency but that’s it. I was waiting for it to open up and give off something. Anything. It never did. Went through 10 steeps. I purchased a whole bing and I will drink it all up but it is not something I will be purchasing again.

Wowza! This has got to be one of, if not, the best black teas I’ve ever had. I only got a sample but will definitely buy more than a sample next time. It brews a beautiful “gold” color. The aroma is mesmerizing, chocolate. The taste, as if you were putting a piece of 70% cacao dark chocolate directly in your mouth. Just a very little perfect hint of sweetness.

So I am finally getting around to this shou which I purchased months ago. This is a great tasting shou. It is very strong but very smooth. Very woody with pretty much no fermentation to me. Rinsed this twice for 3 seconds. By the second steep,it was very dark. The aroma is very soothing. Like wet wood on a rainy day. A must have. I purchased a whole brick as should you if you enjoy great shou.

I opened the bag and notes of milk chocolate hit my nose immediately. I brewed this gong fu and I get cacao, malt, dark chocolate. I also got a surprising sweetness to it that I have not gotten from any other black tea I have had. Pretty decent black.

These pearls are very tiny and really dark. I brewed this western and it has a very nice copper color to it. The pearls really expand. The taste is very smokey and woody, which lingers in your mouth for a while, with a slight sweetness to it. Pretty decent black (red) tea.

Wow! This tea is everything and much more than everyone has said. Pulled out my gaiwan and did 5g for 100ml. Let me tell you, I felt the effects almost immediately. I did 20+ steeps. One very short rinse and then very short steeps. The effects of this sheng are very potent yet you don’t think that based on its taste and texture. It does not feel like this young of a sheng. Very smooth and mellow. Not as dry as dry as other young Shengs I’ve had. It is a very well balanced sheng. Can’t say enough about this one. Do yourself a favor and get you some of this.

So I received this tea as a freebie with my white2tea order. The little cubes are nicely compressed. They are not as tightly compressed as I thought. I gave it two 3 second rinses and it was already breaking up. I gave this 5 steeps starting with 10 seconds and adding 5 seconds with each steep. It was very light colored the first steep but really darken at the second steep. Still pretty dark at the 5th steep. It is a sweet shou. I also get a taste of dirt. As if I would have taken a hand full of dirt and stuffed my mouth. And surprisingly, it is great. Overall a great little shou. I used four grams for 100 ml.