It is true that there is no wet pile taste detectable in this tea. Contrary to another reviewer of this tea, I did a preliminary rinse, though. Even a short first steep (about 20 seconds) rewarded me with a thick, tasty brew. I could detect some delicious dark, earthy notes, but also the dried fruit taste Scott mentions. For me, this is a wonderful tea with a daily drinker/bargain price tag. It will be interesting to see how this tea matures (if I can leave it alone for long enough, that is).

Now, after cupping Pu-erhs for 27 years, I can confidently say that this tea will age exceptionally well and will become a collector's favorite. Initially, I was intrigued by all the tippy, golden buds I saw on-line, and, by the use of the line "Gong Ting Tribute Cake". I was also impressed by the beautiful red and yellow/gold wrapper, and saw, when I got it that it was double wrapped, a sign that someone was duly proud of their creation. With no rinse and a four minute initial infusion, it brewed up blacker than coffee and imparted a rich, deep, dark and dense Ripe Pu-erh experience, par excellence. Frank Hadley Murphy