Recommended
I don’t drink much shu, but I’m happy with this purchase. The tea cake is attractive with specs of red and orange amidst deep purples and browns, and quite compact. The tea soup is a deep clear burgundy. Initial steeps are smooth and later ones reveal more nuances than most previous shus I’ve tried. I picked up subtle hints of bittersweet dark chocolate, sour grape/red wine notes. It also has an aftertaste that lingers for a while. I may add more leaf in future brews.
I don’t find it as sweet as others have, but subtle bitterness in the aftertaste indicate its aging potential.
I like this shou. Main reason why it’s some bitterness. When shou is sweet it’s just boring
Agreed. This one has clean kind of bitterness I associate with good quality leaf. It has interesting textures, as well, and I don’t mean graininess.