I received a sample of this semi-aged tea from a friend of mine and it is one of my favourites among the Tea Encounter samples. Unfortunately, the cakes are sold out at the moment. Maybe the only aspect where I found the tea relatively lacking is the longevity. I particularly liked the complex taste, lasting sweetness and the pure, meditative qi.
The tea greets one with a beautiful and unique aroma that is herbal and cooling. After the rinse, I additionally notice aromas of forest undergrowth, parsley, and smoked bacon. The empty cup then smells of ripe fruit such as durian (but nowhere near as pungent).
Initially, the taste is also pretty weird and unique. There are hints of yeast, forest and dog rose in the rinse, while first steeps has some unusual bitterness, thyme and camphor. The tea is pretty refreshing with its herbaceous bitterness mixed with some sourness as well as wild honey and brown sugar sweetness. The aftertaste is dry with notes of cedar and once again yeast and durian. Next few infusions also bring flavours of mint, Tomme de Savoie cheese, and ghee.
Once it gets going, the liquor is pretty thick with a custard like texture. Fifth steep also has decent minerality and a peppery character. Second half of the session brings more sweetness. There are notes of raisins, figs, apple sauce, but also wood and sage. However, some hints of bitterness persist almost until the end.
Flavors: Apple, Bitter, Brown Sugar, Butter, Camphor, Cedar, Cheese, Fig, Forest Floor, Fruity, Green Pepper, Herbaceous, Herbs, Honey, Meat, Mineral, Mint, Parsley, Raisins, Rose, Rosehips, Sage, Sour, Sweet, Thyme, Wood
