LWXLJMJZC－2018yr Aged Ripe Puerh Tea Cake 3.53oz-Dark Tea Pu erh - Shu (cook) Pu-erh Puer

I didn't know what to expect-buying a puerh tea cake on Amazon - especially since I have exclusively bought mine from a trusted shop in NYC, but this one did not disppoint. It came as pictured, it was not falling apart, and when I broke some off the rinse, and then steep it behaved as expected, rinsed perfectly, and steeped a nice dark color and the taste was the earthy, rich, even a bit sweet aftertaste I was hoping for. For the price, I did not think I would have this experience. I am going to allow the rest to age a few years but I may buy another because it was that good already.

I'm pretty new to Chinese whole leaf teas, and was pretty excited to try this tea. It's a fairly small tea cake that's about the width of a CD. Pretty easy to pry the dried leaves off with a knife.Here's my brew info:- 212 F water- 6g tea to 4oz water- 10 second wash- 1 minute initial steep, 2-3 minute and 5 minute subsequent steepsTea color: umber wash, dark brown liquid in first 3 steeps (soy sauce-color), umber weaker steepsTea scent: woody, fermented funkFull-bodied mouthfeel in initial tea steeps.Flavor: initial steeps: watery top notes, mid-notes of wood, fermented-savory (umami). Smooth sweet finish like vanilla. Later steeps: watery top, woody mid, vanilla end notes.This is a really interesting tea to try out. I've never experienced a savory-fermented flavor to a tea before, and the vanilla-like end notes are very pleasant.I tend to like my teas strong and a bit brighter (Moonlight white tea, golden monkey black tea), and I'm really thrown off by this black tea that doesn't have toasty top notes, which is not at all the fault of the tea or tea makers but rather my expectations and tastes. So I can appreciate the very nice quality and experience of this tea, but this one might not be one I buy again after I finish the cake.I can see this tea being a really interesting introduction to fermented and aged pu'er cakes for folks who want an inexpensive deal on some traditional Chinese tea. Or for people who might get a kick out of a tea that has savory and whiskey-like flavors.

If you don't know (I did not know, until just recently), Puh-Erh Tea is the Only Chinese Style Tea that is FERMENTED, Not Oxydized, and the RAW version (Not the Cooked One!!!), just gets Better in Many Ways, the Longer it's allowed to "Age". There are Puh-Erh Teas over 80+ years old, and those Cakes cost a FORTUNE!!! Puh-Erh Teas were discovered by Accident, and led to the Creation of the "Tea-Horse Trail", between Southern China and Tibet. It's 5,000 kilometers (3,106 miles) Long, takes 8 months to travel (you have to Walk the Whole Time, because the Pack Horses are Fully Loaded with Puh-Erh Tea Cakes), is Very Hazardous and Dangerous, due to Bad Weather (Ice and Snow) when you cross the Himalayan Mountain Pass, and Steep, Narrow Trails with Long Falls (you will die), hundreds of years old, finally being Discontinued in 1953. The Chinese Government, back in "The Old Days", wanted and needed Tibetian Horses, for their Tremendous Strength and Stamina, as WAR Horses, so they sent Trade Envoys to Tibet to trade Puh-Erh Tea Cakes (the Only Kind of Teas that could Survive the Long, Freezing Cold, Hazardous Trip) for Tibet Horses. The Chinese Government was Always Facing WAR's with Neighboring Groups trying to Invade and Attack, and could Never get enough Tibet WAR Horses. Tibet is Too High in Altitude and Too Wet and Cold to Grow Any Plants, so to get their Vitamins and Minerals for Survival, they Got, Brewed, and Drank the Chinese Grown and Processed Puh-Erh Teas, and were only Too Happy to Trade their Tibet WAR Horses for Chinese Puh-Erh Tea Cakes. It was not unusual to have a Chinese Pack Train of 500 Horses and Men making the 8-Month Long Trip (each way!!!), since that used to be the Only Way to do it. And there are Two Kinds of Puh-Erh Teas today, RAW and COOKED. The RAW actually Tastes and Smells Much Better than the COOKED Version, however, it only takes a few Months to Process the COOLED Version, before it's READY to Brew and Drink. The Down Side is the COOKED Version only lasts about 5 years, whereas the RAW Version can last Over 100+ Years, and the Longer it's Aged, the Better it Becomes!!! Even 50-year old RAW Puh-Erh Cakes can cost over $1,000+ per Kilogram, and Older Ones can cost even Much More!!! So, I am going to let this RAW Puh-Erh Tea Cake AGE a few more Years, as it's also a Good Idea to let it become Acclimated to the Climate it got Moved To, before you Crack It Open and try to Brew and Drink it, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Do NOT allow it to be Exposed to Sunlight, and keep it in a Cool and Dry Place. I shall UPDATE this Review, after I finally do Crack Open this Cake and Try it out. Meanwhile, it's actually a Great VALUE, has a Great Smell, and I'm still working on the Flavor, but giving it 5-Stars for now, until I can actually Try it out, and shall Update this Review. I still say it's a Great VALUE and Smells Good too, so I'm HIGHLY RECOMMENDING IT, and saying, "GO FOR IT"... !!!

Wow, this is great tea for the priceI would literally expect to pay at least double from a shop