2008 American Hao 0801

This has to be the most drinkable young sheng puerh that I have yet to have encountered. It brews up a pale brew with a slightly sweet taste with any traces of bitterness or smoke commonly associated with young sheng puerh. Future infusions grow slightly stronger and “puerh notes” begin to emerge yet the enjoyable light and sweet nature remains in this tea.

Pretty thick texture, the front notes are quite fruity while the back end of this tea is more of what I would expect from a young sheng. Got a little bit astringent but nothing unpleasant; if anything it adds to this tea’s body and complexity. Smaller leaf puerh but has a pleasant amount of cha qi. At steep 7 this tea started to die down flavor wise but was still delicious would definitely recommend.

For anyone who enjoys fruity shengs, this is definitely one. The cake itself is 200 grams. This small bing has a rather tight compression. Upon a wash, one can immediately see that this tea is comprised primarily of chopped up material. Despite its poor appearance, the wet leaves do produces a heavenly fruity aroma… a “smoother” fruitiness than found in, say, a Jingmai. Very nice aroma. The liquor is smooth (to a unique degree) with a suble sweetness… notes of berry and citrus intertwined, again, something I find unique to this tea. The soup is thick with a fair share of astringency in the mouth. The hui gan is there but a little light. Overall, I do enjoy this tea despite the leaf appearance and cloudiness. An 80/100 is a fair assessment.