The tea is packaged as shown in the photo. Very cute little packets that are shaped into the form of a small nest. The dry tea smells like straw. It isn’t, however, offensive and barn-like as some other pu erhs tend to be.
I rinsed for a few seconds prior to steeping and was surprised by the amount of small pieces of tea that were washed away. After a relatively short steep, this tea does indeed smell like buttered popcorn. The taste is somewhat different. It’s somewhat earthy, yet with a little kick to it. I don’t think I would consider it a spearmint flavor as the description mentions, but there’s something wildly unmatched to the scent coming out. It’s as if the tea peaks mid sip then lingers a bit on the tongue.
I resteeped this twice. The second steep was too strong. I let it stay in the water for 45 seconds and the liquor was dark brown and a bit straw like in flavor. I didn’t care too much for it. The third steep produced a much more muted flavor. With the overwhelming scent diminished, the flavor is easier to detect. It is earthy, but not in a musty, dirty way as with other pu erhs. Instead, it was pretty good, all things considered.
