Scent of tea cake: Tobacco, Hay
First cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
This is a very dark brown tea. Almost the color of coffee. There is a strong but balanced woodsy flavor, yet not bitter. As the temperature fades, it gives way to a peppery spice that tickles your tongue and clears your mind in the same way ginger does. The caffeine content seems fairly high. This would make a good tea for a sick day.
Other tasting notes: Burdock root, stone, acorn.
Second cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
The straw and tobacco flavors are much more pronounced in this cup. More oils have been released by this steep which lends to a denser mouthfeel. There is very little that is sweet about this tea. It is not exactly a pleasant flavor and yet there is something very comforting about it. The mystery of pu-erh deepens…
Again I should note that many pu-erh teas are drank for their medicinal qualities. Cassia seed has been noted to have positive effects on the liver and large intestine.
