Yiwu 1999 maocha

Dry leaf: Loose leaves; dark, dry and twig-like. Aroma is very much like milk chocolate: it is smooth and creamy/milky.
In hot Gaiwan: Not much; subdued dust.
Wet leaf: Cooked pastry, sweet, oil.

Summary: This tea is very good. It has aged into something very interesting to drink with it’s aged flavours and moreish texture.

Rinse was dark brown.

5s – Med brown liquor. It sizzles in the mouth. I have drunk nothing like this before. Very smooth, soft and supple. There is no bitterness. It evokes a sense of calm as it reveals it’s flavours gently, melting and subtle sweetness, before disappearing. The finish leaves a constant low buzz; the mouth is left dry and I can almost hear the buzzing after taste.
10s – Med/dark brown liquor. There is a lot going on here. There is a small amount of bitterness; there is a warehouse/musty flavour. There is some beetroot developing, but not much. As an aged tea I am not getting any church/bird cage flavours.
15s – Darkish brown liquor. Rolling it around the mouth reveals some old flavours such as mustiness and a hint of the British Library – the Ancient Greek section. The form is interesting: it is smooth and simple at first, and then on swallowing it seems to reverberate/oscillate/fluctuate up and down subtly.
20s – Darkish brown. It has a fizzy, lightly spiciness on the sip. Liquor is not particularly thick. It lingers quite strongly of the flavour of the tea.
25s – Darkish brown. There is some dark chocolate and a little spice, then some bitterness. It fades away slowly, leaving the mouth dryish and full of the flavour.
50s – Darkish brown. Brewed for longer increases the bite, gives more thickness, and gives more bitterness, which gives it a better mouth action.

How does it pair with Camembert? Not so well, as the ammonia taste of the cheese swamps the tea.