I've had shu (ripened) Pu-erh of this age that I thought was exquisite, like the 2005 Jing Mai Autumnal I got from Tao of Tea, so I know it exists, but this cake didn't do it for me. I had a generous amount of samples, enough to experiment a bit with brewing, but I still didn't like it. The dry leaf has an aroma typical of any low-grade shu Pu-erh, the sort of dusty, damp basement smell. The only positive thing I noticed about the dry cake was that the leaves separated easily.

Upon brewing, it's a little better, but not much.

The brew is very mellow. Both flavor and aroma are very mild. Aroma is predominately dusty, with faint hints of raisin and flowers. I have to really think hard to notice anything other than the dusty quality though...if I just sit back and drink it it's not particularly interesting, just a lot of that typical "damp basement" aroma. In spite of the almost jet-black color of the brewed cup, the mouthfeel is relatively thin, although there's a certain pleasant crispness it leaves on the palate. There's a slight sourness, and a slight, warming, oolong-like quality. There's no bitterness and almost no astringency, and it does have a hint of sweetness, almost like I added a dash of sugar (tastes more like sugar than honey).

I can see someone who judges Pu-erh primarily by the mouthfeel and sensations on the palate liking this one. I just didn't though, because of the aroma, which I found mildly objectionable.

I found this tea, like most Pu-erhs, was good at making multiple infusions, and I didn't see any sign of the flavor giving out, but I gave up brewing it because I didn't enjoy drinking it very much. I noticed that later infusions seemed more dusty and less fruity, and perhaps a tiny bit more crisp in flavor.

I thought this cake was really pricey for what it was. For this price, you can buy decent sheng of similar age...why buy this cake? The only reason I can think of to prefer Shu is that it's usually cheaper.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.