Strong notes of nuts and coffee, some fruitiness and chocolate. Viscous mouthfeel. A smooth and accessible tea, for being shu, so if you like your ripe really earthy and bitter this may not be for you. Brews up nice and dark. Holds well for at least five infusions before it begins to fade. The leaf material is good with few sticks. I taste little or no fermentation flavor so the 2008 production date is perfectly plausible.
For such a modest price this is an excellent daily drinker and I think this tea punches above its weight. In fact, I put my money where my mouth is and ordered two more tongs. This will be one of my daily drinkers during work hours for a while. I bought this tea from www.yunnancraft.com
Flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Nuts, Sweet
Sticks had sweetness. It’s not a reflection of production quality. Producers talk themselves blue in the face emphasizing this point. And then there’s hojicha, right?
Fair point, thought I did not really mean “leaf material is good because there are few sticks”, I meant “leaf materials is good and there are few sticks”.