2004 Tai Lian "Yi Wu Zheng Shan" Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake

The description says "If you are looking for a nice Yi Wu tea with some age on it, look no further!" I would even complete this sentence as "If you're looking for an awesome aged Sheng - look no further!" - This buddy is freaking amazing! Already its steaming bouquet is promising an unforgettable tea session. There is a lot to be named here starting with the actual aroma which is not only overwhelming but also sweet, old woodsy and a lot like grandma's home you love so much.

First you might notice a very common recipe of aged agarwood, sandalwood, a good layer of camphor and generally said a certain old Chinese wooden furniture picture. But now a lot of unique stuff is adding themselves into this deliciously scene like a warm brandy bouquet, a skillfully placed hop note followed by caramel and an amazing aromatic fusion of subtle lemon and original real (not the synthetic one) marshmallow flair. Now our grandma comes into play! Maybe some of you might not associate the scent of old people as something to be pleasing but there are grandmas with a lot of style - I mean those old classy ladies and maybe some of you might now how their home and atmosphere feels like and this is one of the main pictures I get within this marvelous aged Sheng. Especially when it comes to the bouquet of roses you will love its unfolding because there is a certain rose frankincense touch to it which gives this aged buddy a cozy and loving home feel to it.

If Guangdong is doing it the right way then they freakin doing it damn masterfully right! This Sheng was aged at its best and received exactly the right amount of everything! The actual taste also contains a lot of the former scenting profile but a bit in a different order. Here the caramel and plant marshmallow version are more part of the main cast as before. Dominating of course is again a perfectly balanced layer of old wood (agar, sandalwood) followed by hop and camphor with a slightly hint of mushrooms like shiitake. Within its silky soft thick liquor you might also discover a tiny trace of milk. This buddy is so rich and deep within its profile - it is such a pleasure enjoying it! The aftertaste unfolds a bit differently: First it starts with green salad followed by sunflower seeds and freshly cracked walnuts. There is also a certain dark bread taste to it.

I definitely need to order a whole cake of it! Highly recommendable!

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