2016 Essence of Tea Huangshanshu
Stored in mylar for 5 years at 32C. This was kept rather low in humidity, around 55%, and so did not age as quickly as other teas kept in the 60s.
The tea is immediately recognizable due to a very distinctive taste/aroma note somewhere between peat moss and carrot. Maybe it’s a high sulfur content?
Medium high thickness, creamy texture, lots of astringency from the start. Savoury and bitter. Full mouthfeel but a lack of sweetness. Initially some small amount of sweet aftertaste but quickly overtaken by the bitter-savoury darker profile
Wet leaf smells very clean and pleasant, no acrid notes, no green notes, no suds, no bits and pieces. Processing is good IMO.
No sweetness in the mid-late steeps, strong astringency, Frisson, focusing, strong tea, can be overpowering in terms of stoning effect. Bitter savoury profile is very consistent.
Longer steeps are uncomfortably strong with super high astringency and stoning. Distinctive carrot/peat moss/fennel note continues strong. Good looking material, believably old tree material though not super thick, and there do seem to be quite a few unserrated leaves, maybe tips.
