This is the first Yunnan that I’ve drunk within memory, so kindly weigh my context-free impressions accordingly. I expected and got a certain earthiness from this, as well as the peppery quality associated with Yunnans (white pepper, not black). What took me by surprise was the faint “fuel” note. You know how foods fresh off the backyard grill can take on the flavor of not only the charcoal briquettes but also a bit of the lighter fluid used to set them aflame? That’s what I’m tasting here. I imagine I might find this enjoyable on a winter day, finding it warming and restorative in the same way as a sip of brandy or cognac. But winter is seven months away, and until then, I’ll keep warily experimenting with this … and probably blending it with teas that don’t taste quite as flammable.
