26 Tasting Notes
A pretty basic semi-aged raw with not much complexity. The flavor is mostly woody with some prunes or plums, some upfront sweetness, touches of tree resin and minerality. Just a hint of smoke. Tastes a bit flat overall. Aftertaste is drying-astringent. Kinda meh.
Flavors: Astringent, Mineral, Prune, Resin, Woody
A charming, well-priced raw pu-erh with a unique character.
The taste profile is green and citrusy, with notes of green beans, herbs and lemon. Some hints of honeyed floral. Low to medium bitterness and astringency and some nice mineralic texture. The tea leaves behind a pleasant citrusy aroma in the throat, though without returning sweetness or strong cooling effects. Average endurance and a somewhat relaxing effect.
Flavors: Green Beans, Herbaceous, Lemon, Lemongrass, Mineral, Savory
A nice robust daily drinker that trades blows with factory offerings in the value department.
It features some of the classic chocolate and vanilla robust ripe flavors, but with more of a focus on woody notes, like a spicy oak wood. There is also a slight smokiness and just a touch of pleasant basement funk on some brews. Some of the smokier brews made me think of a campfire or a scented candle. The leaves seem to indicate a high degree of fermentation.
Overall, a well-balanced ripe with a touch of something extra. Not as challenging as the edgy name might suggest.
Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Oak, Smoke, Vanilla
Despite the tea being stored in Kunming, it shows quite strong aged characteristics. I wonder if it spent some of its early years in more humid storage.
The aroma is clearly aged. Old wood, beetroot, smoky incense, maybe some tobacco and just a bit of a more classic doughy sweet ripe aroma.
The flavor is dark chocolaty, milky but with that basement, beetroot and smoky cigarette touch. There is an herbal bitterness, which is higher than usual for ripe, perhaps signifying the lighter fermentation mentioned by the store.
Overall, this is more challenging than your average ripe, but a great chance to try an aged lighter fermentation ripe at a good price. Lovers of Liu Bao and wet storage should also enjoy this.
Flavors: Beetroot, Dark Chocolate, Incense, Milk, Tobacco
The tea features a mouth-watering aroma of honey and fruit, the combination smells like some sort of candy.
It tastes of peaches, forest fruit, floral honey and gingerbread or biscuits. The body is light and the tea leaves a strong candy-like sweetness that seems almost artificial, as if from corn syrup or sweeteners.
An excellent and unique black tea.
Flavors: Fruity, Gingerbread, Honey, Peach, Sweet
This rating is for the 2022 version of this brick. Really smooth despite being so young, no wo dui nastiness. Classic dark chocolate and dough flavor with a hint of fruitiness. Tastes best when pushed for an extra thicc body.
Flavors: Bread Dough, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Red Fruits