2013 Yunnan Sourcing Autumn Ye Sheng Raw Puerh Tea

This one really surprised me. The nose is robustly roasty, almost chemical, and that roast definitely translates to the cup. Taste is unexpectedly sweet, at times resembling some sort of coffee ice cream. The hui gan is remarkable- thick and lingering. My boyfriend, a much more casual drinker than I, tells me this is the best tea I have shown him so far. At $62/357g the price is remarkably good for a sheng this distinct.

Was really expecting to like this one since I love peaty smoke/Islay whiskies. But the smoke on this is more like smoked meat which to me is odd flavors for a tea. But just a personal preference that I don’t like that which is why I still gave it a 70

I like the fact that this has such a different flavor and smell because a lot of my young sheng has similar notes. Also, I find the wild purples just don’t agree with me. The energy/Qi feels chaotic and quite often they mildly turn my stomach. This isn’t a young sheng thing…don’t have this problem with any of those.

Wow, okay. This tea is awesome. Sweet and smoky. I brewed it pretty haphazardly and it was very forgiving. 100% getting a full cake of this on my next YS order. Really interesting tea.

Given to me in a tea swap by Kirkoneill1988.

Man, I love this tea. I’m currently on my 16th pot. It has nearly lost every bit of the tobacco flavors in which it started out with, until the past two steeps, but it’s still going. There’re some astringent notes to the tea, but overall, not too overpowering. I like a little bite to my Sheng pu-erhs, though. I will be adding this to my wishlist. I’m glad that I was able to get this much (Thank you again, Kirkoneill1988).

Upon trying this tea the day after it arrived, I noticed the smokiness overwhelmed all of its other nuances. I decided to return to it in a week or so. I find the flavor of teas change in a positive way after being broken into. After brewing it again 2 weeks later I realized I was right. This time the smoke was in the background and the savory, piney, honey-like, camphor, mineral, deep forest flavors showed themselves more prominently. The leaf aroma reminded me of other quality shengs I’ve tried. This tea definitely has a rustic quality that adds to its charm. I imagine it will only improve with age as the smokiness gives way to its true nature.

This one is pretty damn good!
I am not a big fan of young sheng or any sheng really but I do try to appreciate all kinds of teas, this one is different than most sheng i’ve tried.
this one can brew up nice and dark almost like a shou or aged sheng, it is slightly sweet, smokey and just plain delicious, it will resteep over and over too.
I was impressed with this one because i honestly had no idea that it was going to brew up the way it did.
I may buy a whole cake just to have around because I can surely drink this one with ease :)
Also it has a nice energy, i really enjoy the nice way the energy of this one make me feel.
Thanks Kirk for sending me this sample.

This autumn version is an entirely different experience than it’s spring counter-part (as advertised). It has the taste profile of a sheng that is transitioning into a more mature, aged tea. It has seemed to have lost its greener, more smoky with floral sweetness, as other teas I’ve tried in this area. It is definitely more wild and robust, with hints of dried mushrooms and seasoned pine kindling, freshly lit. There seems to be a prevalent tobacco-likeness, midway through the sip, which transitions into a mouth drying astringency.

I’m pretty certain this is a good one for someone that likes good shou puerh and has been discouraged by typical young sheng teas and their characteristics, as this is closer to aged puerh than a sheng that is normally reflected at this age. Overall, not bad at all.

this tea never goes bitter if steeped in a strainer with a 250ml cup for a while. Even with 10g of the tea :D