2013 Traditional Raw Liubao Buyi Village

The second of four from derk from White Antlers… thank you again. <3

This dry leaf smelled fruitier than the Hei Shi leaves, but the steamed leaf was immediately savory and herbaceous, briny and seaweedy.

The transformations these leaves made… oy. Broth the first: nutmeg (not quite betel?), malt. Broth the second: oop, nope — this is not sweet at all. Like a buttery olive, like mild white pepper — barnyard and hay. Smooth mouthfeel, saliva producing… much more warming than the Hei Shi sample.

Here I stop and wonder: this is delicious and a journey, but would I ever crave it, chase it? I feel bad that I don’t think so. :/

Third steep, now there’s some bitter that hits on the back roof of my mouth, while everywhere else is ridiculously smooth to the point of luxurious. Indistinct hay and grasses. But then zip zop, later steeps become drying to the point of numbing, I start buzzing, I feel like I need food to tamp this down… but am distinctly not hungry.

Woo, a ride.

Alkaline and creamy, subtly betel nut spicy. Hay bale and raw pumpkin seed flavor with touches of dried black olive, dates, smoked meat and cacao. Comfortable drying and tongue-tingling then playful numbing sensation. A purple-blue floral bitter aftertaste rises from the throat and sticks to the tongue. It feels like exhaling the scent of blueberry skins and violet with the tiniest bit of lavender through the nose. Fairly neutral energy temperature but leans more toward cooling.

Aroma, taste, texture, energy — all working together to create a very comfortable tea!

Thank you, White Antlers <3