I really enjoyed this tea.

I tried brewing this in two different ways...one, as recommended, more leaf, shorter steeping times. The second, using less leaf, but longer steeps. I had much better results with this second method using longer steeping times (I recommend starting with 2-3 minutes and going from there). The leaves only unfurl very slowly and I think longer steeps are really necessary to bring out this tea's flavor. I was able to make many infusions (4+) even with longer steeps.

I found this tea, in all infusions, to have a similar character. It did not start losing strength at all until after the third cup. It is very earthy, but has certain fresh herbaceous tones that are unusual in a tea of this age...smells that I associate with being outdoors in a weedy thicket in the summer.

I also found this tea to be considerably less smooth than I had anticiapted, and again, less smooth relative to pu-erh of this age and even considerably younger. However, I liked this. It has some bite, a little bitterness, especially if brewed with longer steeping times (one reason I prefer this method).

Price is, in my opinion, very reasonable. This is a powerful tea: not much leaf is needed to make a flavorful cup, and the leaves can be brewed many times. Given this, I think it's a steal at this price.

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