I got this in a sample from Verdant and sadly it will be my only steeping, so I’m planning to steep it all night (maybe even overnight and see what happens). I’ve had a number of shu teas but I’ve never had one that is so light and direct in its flavors. In the first steep it tastes a little like seawater mixed with caramel. There is very little earthiness in this tea unlike other shu teas, instead there is a sweet grainy taste, I can taste the buckwheat like the description says. I did a one minute steep for the first cup, after an initial rinse. 2nd steep was for two minutes. The tea is a lot thicker with a strong shiitake taste. It isn’t as murky as other shu teas and still has a brightness even with a longer steep. Very nice shu pu erh.
