Now this is a puer that stood out for me on so many levels. I kept it for a while and, after a more than a moment of hesitation, still decided to try it at 10 PM about an hour before I would have to go to bed. In my experience, a typical shou is not the best choice option for a late-night tea…but this tea is anything but typical.
First, it has a very appealing formulation: 20 g. It opens so many different ways to use it while still being fairly easily portable. Second, the taste: it was the most unusual shu that I tried so far. There was none of the common heavily earthy, woody and generally oppressive notes of decay. Instead, this tea is incredibly light and sweet. But this sweetness is not floral-based but rather intertwined with equally light notes of mushrooms, meat-based broth and, most prominently, the taste of naturally sweet water from a well or a spring somewhere in the wilderness.
This Gold Melon works extremely well with short infusion, it works equally well with the longer ones: the sweetness becomes even more pronounced without any hint of bitterness.
All-in-all, this puer is a very optimistic, sunshine-filled and uplifting drink. Good on its own, even better as a desert after a hearty meal. This tea is so tasty and “different” that I will certainly order a sleeve of it – because in addition to all its goodness this puer is also very affordable.
