2009 Diangu Iron Cake 滇古鐵餅

have been meaning to get to this LP sample for what feels like eons… even breaking up iron samples, I’m reminded why I despise iron pressings.

5.5/90/212, gaiwan

dry: very very sweet dried berries.

wet: barnyard (think i finally kind of understand shah’s notation for this now…), lychee, tropical fruits, caramel.

1st: cough syrup, mint, tropical fruits

2nd: fine astringency, slight bitterness. mint and floral in taste

3rd: bitter, cherry-like, chocolate. inclined to think that diangu leans cold?

4th: awfully bitter. fruity floral mint backdrop

5: cherry syrup

6: papery with fine astringency

7: fruity bitter

8: not much taste, but slight pineapple aftertaste

9: more rounded, but still bitter

10: soapy bitter. something vegetal

11, 12: fruity. candied-carrots. dried date, slight underlying bitter

13: no longer bitter. moved to mug.

This is the first tea in a very long time I’ve had that has changed so drastically from steep to steep, and with obvious, distinct notes. does it seem to be worth the $1835 for the XZH direct? absolutely not. does anyway actually pay XZH direct pricing is the real question i suppose. at any rate, dollar per gram from LP was interesting, and perhaps a confusing whirlwind of an experience. Diangu in taste is unlike anything else I’ve tried. In feeling… I don’t know. It was 3 am and I was working on an overdue pset.