K S

Since it is a sheng and smells ‘weird’ by your description. If you are going to give it a go at storage make sure that you store it completely separated from others (avoid cross contamination with scent). How was it packed?

Weird isn’t exactly what I meant. It is more like young but starting to age. I like barnyard. This is just a sample packed in a clear baggie. Maybe aging a sample isn’t practical. I don’t know. Is there a type paper I could use to wrap my various samples that I can get at Walmart?

Well, its not very common for a Sheng to smell like barnyard, maybe herbaceous. That’s why I asked. I don’t like to ship Puerh in plastic unless there’s going to be a small frame between the shipping and opening. I would suggest you to let it ‘breath’ for 3-4 days in open air but no direct sunlight. Then retry it.

Am I totally off in my thinking that aged sheng is what shu is trying to emulate? I just assumed this was starting to naturally gain an aged smell and taste.

It is! But it truly never gets there. I guess after maybe 60-70 years? I had 40-45yr old Puerh… you can see where it is going, but you still understand is not really going to get there. (I appreciated the aged tea, I don’t think is worth spending the money in tea that old unless you drink to then boast about it. There’s amazing Puerh out there, and 10-20 years make amazing changes.) Let it air, retry it. It may be also differences in what ‘barnyard’ is to each of us. To me is more of dried hay that was exposed to some mud after a few animals walked by.

Ok, let me take back some of that before I’m ‘attacked’ lol. If you have the money and enjoy really old tea, then it IS worth it. Worthy, is a word of perception and opinion. There :)

:) You’ll not likely ever find one in my tea drawer. I’d rather make the house payment.

hahahaha! Same here. It was an ‘experience’ I feel like I’d rather buy something ‘semi-aged’ (one for drinking and one for storage) and just pray I make it in life long enough to enjoy one extremely well aged.