2013年冰岛古树普洱熟茶饼

Early steeps reveal the power, astringency, and mouthfeel of this tea. Age mao cha gives it a beautiful light orange hue. Later steeps are where this tea really shines in my opinion. The astringency fades and the beautiful character of the aged and fresher material begin to shine through. The hui gan is superb with a full bodied honey & citrus like sweetness that persists well after the last sip.

Impressions Raw Pu-erh is a refreshing tea with a great body feel. It's a little bitter for me, but I enjoyed the more brews the more I made.

from the first infusion you get slammed with a velvet coating in the mouth, a fluff feeling on the tongue followed by a tingling sensation. Citrussy, dried flowers, vanilla, a slight hint of tobacco and a lingering citrus afteraste (huigan) that puts a coat on your throat. The aftertaste also has flower scent flavors. A very pleasant experience, as there's no real biting bitterness you'd expect since this tea was only just released. Slightly oily and libricating, with a comforting, calming bodysensation. I can't believe how affordable this tea is, really a steal.

I have always enjoyed Yunnan green teas: that hard to describe honey/copper-penny aroma. I got this sample in my last order so I tried it out. It seems to be typically Yunnanese in it's flavour profile, but it is robust, complex and goes for many infusions. Typical Yunnan flavours at the outset become undergirded with a a nutty almond flavour that coats my mouth. As I continue to steep this tea more edgy floral flavours peek out, the underlying nuttiness persists, maybe this nuttiness is the aged maocha? I don't know. This tea has a beautiful clarity to the taste, and just as balanced as described. The strong huigan and cha qi are like a rollercoaster ride for me. Drinking this tea is more of an event, not a sideshow. I can't imagine a session with this tea with less then 10 or so steepings, you would just be cutting yourself short of the total experience. I use the 60ml gaiwan sold here, filled 1/3 of the way with dry leaf, water off the boil, and flash steepings that I gradually stretch out. I have no previous experience with young sheng, but this one has turned me on. I purchased a cake after tasting this sample, and also a cake of the 2014 for comparison. For my tastes this is five star.

I've had all the Impression cakes and they all are good, my favorites being the 2018 and 2014. I like that this one is a bit different with it's inclusion "lightly aged mao cha", which gives it a warm rounded feeling that counters the fresh bitter and astringent leaves used. I think as this ages that juxtaposition will become increasingly less pronounced and the taste will become more integrated as it ages. Hats off to Scott for keeping it lively!