Today I drank a sample from a good tea friend. It was sheng and labeled only 1998 Cave Storage. It was certainly an interesting tea. I’m still deciding if I like or dislike it. It had one main note that I would have to describe as bitter, astringent, and fruity all in one note mind you. It had none of the traditional storage flavors you would expect. No wet wood, no tobacco, no leather. I have no idea where my friend got this tea or how much it cost and I am on the fence if I would buy it anyway. That one powerful note didn’t lessen over the eight steeps I gave the tea. I might go back for a few more steeps.
I steeped this eight times in a 150ml gaiwan with 7.7g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, and 30 sec. The tea started out with a dark brown color and was red by the eighth steep.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Fruity
