The dry leaf of this looks unusually wiry and tippy for a ripe Pu-erh, with a lot of golden tips. It is quite aromatic, and the aroma is typical for ripe Pu-erh, with perhaps only a faint suggestion of more complexity.

Upon brewing, 1 teaspoon of leaf and 1 minute as recommeded for one cup, this produces a dark colored cup that looks in many respects like Chinese red tea, not as dark as usual ripe Pu-erh.

Aroma of dust and earth, a damp sort of aroma, with a very faint hint of smoke and dried fruit. I wish there were more of the smoky and fruity tones, as I like them a lot more than the dusty / earthy quality that dominates. Flavor is clean and crisp: not much bitterness, but a bit more cool tasting than typical for this type of tea.

Second infusion comes out much darker, but is smoother in flavor and milder in aroma. Third infusion lightens in color, but has a stronger flavor. Both two infusions had a typical aroma for ripe Pu-erh. I upped the steeping time slightly for each infusion.

Infuses many times, like typical for Pu-erh, but I found I preferred the first cup the best.

Good, but I strongly prefer the other teas I've had from TeaVivre. This was above average, but some of the other TeaVivre teas in this price range were top-notch. I still can't see myself regularly buying shou (ripened) Pu-erh when I so strongly prefer sheng (raw).

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