This little sample came to me packed as King Tut: first it was sealed in plastic, then placed in a vacuumed-sealed and richly decorated copper-colored foil package, which, in its turn, was inside a larger gray-colored foil package. After I finally extracted the tea from all of its layers of protection I had to admit that they worked well and preserved the aroma and flavor quite nicely.
The dry leaves smell of ocean, lilac, orchids and spice – a very distinct smell. That smell is preserved in the wet leaves , accompanied by leafy greens and grass. The mouthfeel is very creamy , while the taste is robust, complex and evolves in your mouth: grass, sweet flowers, seaweed, umami, butter, asparagus, broccoli, spice on the end. It has a long-lasting calming and vibrant aftertaste. This tea is very good Western and well-suited for multiple gaiwan steeps.
Overall, this is a very good, balanced and complex Tie Guan Yin. I had a great experience.
Hahaha, King Tut tea!