I wonder about the reasons for a tea being left as mao cha for 13 years, but at least we get to see an example of uncompressed transformation here. One thing is for sure, there are a lot of stems so the visual aspect could be one of the reasons why it didn’t get sold earlier, together with the fact that Wu Liang is quite remote and isn’t exactly renowned among tea buyers.
Overall, the tea is not bad, but not anything special either. It satisfies the itch when you want a comforting and clean stored semi-aged sheng with a very woody profile and a smooth texture. However, I feel like one can probably get a better price for comparable teas in this category as well.
The mouthfeel, for one, is pretty decent. It has a buttery character and commendable thickness. The taste is woody and tangy with medium sweetness and sourness as well as a floral bitterness in the finish. Specfic flavours include ones like bread, coriander seeds, fenugreek leaves, lavender and ash. The aftertaste is spicy, cooling and herbaceous with a protracted sour bite and a faint mushroom flavour. The hui gan is fairly weak to be honest.
Flavors: Ash, Bread, Coriander Seed, Herbaceous, Lavender, Mushrooms, Plants, Smooth, Sour, Spicy, Sweet, Tangy, Thick, Wood