Cultivar: Gushu (old arbor) Puerh large leaves

Harvested: Spring 2005

Origin: Menghai region, Yunnan, China

Process: raw, sun dried, loose shape. Aged with a partial fermentation.

The 5 testing pictures show 2 gr of dry leaves and the 6 minute brew in a white porcelain competition set. The goal of this brew isn't to get the best brew, but to ascertain the quality of the leaves through an extreme brew.

1. View

The dry loose leaves contain a high quantity of large, dark leaves. The brew has a dark brown color with very good shine. The open leaves unfold fully.

2. Scents

The dry loose leaves have a clean earthy scent. The brew has a powerful scent typical of aged puerh with camphor and aged wood fragrances.

3. Taste

Clean and smooth with a nice, long aftertaste. Very enduring.

Conclusion: This loose raw gushu puerh is almost 20 years old and was aged in a humid environment for a while, but not too long. This has accelerated its change. The scents are typical of much older (40 years) puerh and the taste has also become very smooth, while still retaining the power of the gushu material. I highly recommend it, especially at this price level.