2022 Yunnan Sourcing "Tea Time" Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake

Pretty basic and flat tea here.

Decent warm pot/warm tea smell. Enjoyable aromatics.

12g of leaf in 180ml pot. 20 sec wash. Lid on to steam and loosen the leaves.

First infusion was very earthy, woody, and minerally. Fairly thin and dark mahogany color. Subpar mouthfeel. Overall not too great.

Next infusion was more creamy and smooth, with the highlights of the tea coming out. Not super great, but not bad. More of the woody and earthiness, but somehow a bit more palatable. It’s kind of a flat taste overall, though, which is harder to describe. Just kind of . . . plain. Oil slick on the surface of the brew which is nice to see, so it’s somewhat lubricating in the mouth.

Next infusion: pretty much more of the same. It doesn’t get more exciting than smooth, woody, and not bitter, though it can get bitter around the edges of the mouth when pushed as I did.

I didn’t max out the leaves because it just wasn’t compelling to me. I don’t remember any of the sessions of the 100g cake being memorable. I personally won’t buy again. It’s dirt cheap, though. (available as of 2/2023)

Not a very complex flavor. Still young, but no wet pile taste. Good basic tea for the price.