The pickings are very fuzzy and have a mix of real young and more established young material. Came across a decent sprinkle of golden buds in there too.
Infusions
- The wet leaf has an intriguing set of aromas in the floral creamy sphere - kind of like the smell of a Cinnabon pretzel place in a mall, that spicy, creamy, almost zesty, aromatic bundle. A bit sweet too. Mouthfeel is thick and coating, creamy as shit. Taste - gettin soy milk yet again, leading to spices and menthol that gets fully realized in a strong finish. This one's a nice guy for sure. The finish is incredibly minty, damn near like I popped an Altoid or Listerine strip in this mof. It seriously sticks around. There's also a coriander aroma in the finish. This first round has no bitterness and very low astringency.
- Very pleasing light astringency, peppercorny, soy milk
- There's a pleasant, slight charcoal roast kind of scent on the wet leaf as well as huckleberry. Both of those carry through to the cup, with the charcoal roast taste leading a very, very pleasant astringency - probably one of the nicest ones I've experienced. It's not too strong and just feels bold yet very dialed in. It's got a very nice grab to it which adds a dynamic feel to the strong creaminess and thick mouthfeel. The volatile spice notes are strong in the coriander and holy basil, tightly balancing the increased minerality. The finish this time is way more focused on that holy basil note clear as day. The menthol note integrated more in the taste before moving to the back of the throat and giving a place for the holy basil to ramp up as time passes. This tea's got an impeccable finish to it.
- Slight woody aged note. A bit of an adult flavor, kind of like a rye barrel. Very spicy and fragrant. I'd be interested in how this behaves in the jianshui. There's a zestiness to the tea now that wasn't there before. Still super strong on the creaminess, more so than the start.
- Floral cream, same behaved astringency
- Hit it a little harder with boiling water and got met with more spices and a noticeable strong tingle on the tongue in the finish. More of a minty breath rather than a central menthol flavor.
- Got into deep conversation and accidentally drank a couple rounds without loggin, but it's still holding the same flavor grounds. More exposing of that creaminess and less of a bite. Strong on the mouthfeel and spice for sure. Holy basil and the whole 9 yards
- ...
- More iron-like minerals coming through, giving it a bit of a more metallic taste. Mouthfeel is there, finish comes quicker. Still has a bit of life left in it. All around fantastic and I'd happily buy a cake of this. Just real smooth and has a tiny bit of age on it to smooth it to where it is now. I could see this being insane in another 10 years.