Tobacco off the dry chunk; creaminess on the nose and the sip right from the get-go (I did a 30 second first steep in lieu of a rinse). Even by long-steep number three, the broth is still on the red side — no deep-dark shou blackness here. Creamy wet wood and leather; no bitter paper edge, which I’m always on the lookout for in these wet-piled babies.
Camphor and just a whiff of basement developed on the wet leaf that wasn’t coming through in the broth, so I lowered my water ratio and let steeps go longer. Showed up a little in the sip.
This is nice. Comforting. Might recommend it to folks ready to stick a toe in the shou-pond. Toes in shous, yuk yuk yuk.
Flavors: Camphor, Creamy, Leather, Tobacco, Wet Wood
