Sipdown, 131. I was originally going to have a different type of tea for the afternoon, but then I decided it would be interesting to see if I could taste differences in shu puerhs. So I grabbed this one!
The initial impression is that this one is very similar to the Xingyang shu, but it reveals its differences. The predominant note is wood, but this is like pine rather than oak. This lacks the deeper aged bourbon notes, instead this is brighter and crisper. No candy sweetness either, a cleaner, sharper texture. As the steeps progress it got less woody. The grits/cornmeal/tamale crust that Terri mentions is spot on. Interesting. A hint of sweetness pops up.
I do enjoy trying out all these puerhs. Education! :D
