Review topics: ["taste","price","smell","order","sweetness","appearance","tea","sample","fruit","steeps","broth","notes"].
Reviews
First Aged Sheng
"This was my first time trying an aged sheng pu'er (part of the Next Steps sampler) and I am in love. Great mellow flavor with some depth that I think is what good aging must do. Some really light floral scent from the 3rd steep on. This made me buy a few more similarly aged shengs to try for variety, but i may end up buying a cake of this."
— Andy (5/5)
Sometimes, waiting is the hardest part - and, perhaps, unnecessary ...
"Friday, I received my latest order of potent raw Pu-erh cakes, alongside of which came this free sample. Having had this on my short list - alas, unordered - yesterday I decided to brew this 10g in my 170ml old BenShan LvNi (Qing) teapot. WOW! Suffice it to say, I've never felt such immediate and potent cha qi. This morning, I ordered a cake of this, and one of the 2011 ..."
— Mike (5/5)
Full-bodied and mild
"This tea has a sweet, comforting vibe with little bitterness and negligible astringency. Yet, the mouthfeel is full and the flavours are mild and harmonious. Balanced. Glad I got two samples but I think it's time to buy a cake."
— Terence W. (5/5)
Included as a free sample. I was impressed.
"Brewed in the faithful Sama teapot. Nice smooth and a bit woody. A very good tea."
— Jiliyan M. (5/5)
Lots of aging potential still
"Got this as a sample with my order, so only had enough for a few sessions. The quality is there and despite its age it still tastes quite young to me, with the slightest hints of aged character starting to come through. Floral notes and some bitterness. Will be interesting to see how it transforms."
— Mike K. (4/5)
Well balanced
"I was sent a free sample of this with my latest order (thanks!). I am not very experienced with aged raw puer but I found this very pleasant. It currently has a very pleasant balanced of aged tastes and fresh fruitiness. There is still some bitterness, but it is not overpowering and adds to the structure of the taste."
— BCM (5/5)
Happy Surprises
"This Sheng rocks to its own rhythm, there’s no doubt about that. It is a beautiful tea, with a remarkably sustained elegance, but it must not be approached with any expectations, nor allowed to create any along the way. For example, steeps 2 through 5 (the first was a rinse) evoked, respectively and in order, spring, autumn, winter, and then summer. Beginning with a woodsy, fresh, awaking note, steep 2 conjured images of a green bud soon to break above the soil, of a dense bundle of potential destined for a Big Bang. The next steep was all earth notes of the ochre/orange variety, pungent but heavy. The next steep was all coal and smoke, dormancy. I was concerned I might be disappointed. Then, steep 5 was exactly what I would expect to have followed immediately after steep 2. The same notes as that, but slowly unwinding, hesitantly beginning to yield, tentatively offering a bit of sweetness. That sweetness would continue for 10 more steeps and did not actually stop - I did, because I couldn’t keep drinking so much tea in one sitting! The sweetness really burst forth in steep 6, and in 7 the flavor nuances did so. Florals, a rich citrus (kumquat?), and naturally a bit of earth. Steep 8, the best one thus far, saw the fruits turn to more general summer fruits (stone fruits, deciduous fruits, kinda-sorta melons). Here also, the sweetness plateaued, and rode that altitude for the rest of the way in a very easygoing, friendly, giving manner. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was fooled again. On steep 11 I noticed the flavor fade a little. This was only natural; all good things must come to an end. But no! Steep 12 had amazing sweetness and flavor, and was the best steep of all. Personality, depth, range, persistence, perhaps some playfulness, and certainly great prolificacy, all make this a real gem. Great fun to explore."
— Daniel M. (5/5)
Great Value
"Tastes like spring flowers, honey and pistachio. Complex notes of pipe tobacco and bourbon make spontaneous fleeting appearances in the never ending finish. Bottom of the cup smells like bee pollen. The qi is unusual. I always sleep well and have super vivid dreams after a night session of this stuff."
— Paul C. (4/5)
Very powerfull
"Brews up a light orange. Slightly smoky with menthol, peach, and tobacco notes. Despite aging since 2008, it is still strong and bitter, kind of like the offspring of a more typical YS sheng with a burly Xiaguan tuo."
— Thomas P. (4/5)
Full bodied and potent
"I've drank this tea every year or so...And am simply astounded at how well it has aged these past 5 years. I remember when it was fresh off the boat, with high floral notes and rich mushroom-like broth. Now...It has aged significantly... The flavors are deeper and smoother with a strong satisfying quality we all want from our tea. Awesome tea, crazy affordable price."
— KenfuPanda (5/5)
