First, I must admit that shu puer is not something I get overly excited or worked up about. I enjoy it for some of its medicinal properties, its overall smoothness, the warmth it brings me, and as something that steeps many, many times. The flavor profile is okay. I’ve had a variety of loose leaf shus that work okay as at-work drinking teas and most of them are usually pretty light on the “riper” aspects. This one, however, gets a little fishy for me, even after a rinse and a few steeps. It does have larger than average leaves for a loose leaf shu and the overall flavor complexity is much deeper than other examples I’ve had, reaching into the umami, mushroom, and roasted nut characters. It is supremely smooth. A little tea goes a long way, with a relatively small portion giving a 6oz gaiwan more than half a dozen steeps before showing signs that it was thinning out. Again, I got what I paid for here, a smooth, not too weird, daily drinker loose leaf shu. I’m pleased with Seven Cups prices and quality.
