I haven’t had much time to write tea notes recently, I hope to come back to some more focused drinking now. This unique tea is was among the samples I received from Ros, and it is the best chenpi shou mix I’ve had to date.
It has deep and complex aromatics. Already in dry form I get a strong herbaceous and leathery scent. Throughout the session, many other notes emerge, such as those of peanuts, wood smoke, peat, cranberry, and truffles.
The liquor very clear and has a beautiful dark mahogany colour. It is medium bodied, milky, and heavy but not overly thick.
Initial flavours are in the neighbourhood of plant roots and wet earth. Second infusion a little funky with mild bitterness and strong woody notes of tree bark. The aftertaste is a little bit like mildly sour milk. Later, the chenpi comes more to the forefront with medicinal and citrusy flavours. Some of the later steeps also reminded me of coffee.
Flavors: Bark, Bitter, Citrus, Coffee, Cranberry, Earth, Herbaceous, Leather, Medicinal, Milk, Peanut, Peat, Smoke, Sour, Wet Earth, Wood
Glad you enjoyed it! I quite enjoy this one too :)
Man I drank a lot of Chen Pi years back. The wife couldn’t even stand to look at it.