This is it: a pre 2000 sheng with wonderful aged character at approx 22 cents per gram.
aroma of dry leaves in warmed pot is simply fantastic and meets my expectations what aged pu er should smell like:
musty but not dusty or moldy, with undertones of tobacco, wood, earth, tangy aged fruit (menghai character?) and a vaporous velvety character.
now the challenge is to bring out this aroma and flavor as much as possible in the actual infusions.
I tried it once with approx 7 grams in about 120 ml 20 second steeps.
and once again with about 3g of broken leaf 100ml 1 minute steeps.
the second time it was more hearty, savory, and creamy. notes below are from first session.
balanced, plesant cha qi:
smooth and comforting to the stomach, and after initial warmth and slight sweating on first 2 infusions, there is a cooling sensation in the outer regions of the upper body. clear, stable mind, no jittery caffeine jolt.
flavor and aroma are a satisfying yet less intense version of the warmed leaf description above. if these can be intensified with proper brewing and/or ageing, then this could very well be an ultimate pu erh experience by my humble standards.
I love this tea and it is currently at the top of my re-order list.
If you live in Israel and want to try it drop me a line :)
