This is very unique & pleasant with more syrupy and red fruit forward first steeps that progress into something a little more thick and jammy with undertones of dried chamomile flowers, prunes, parsley & distinct notes of pipe tobacco in the finish. Normally I would likely be turned off by a tea that has such a distinct chamomile note, as it’s not a type of tea I typically enjoy – however I think the really dynamic melange of sweeter fruity notes and that interesting tobacco note are both more than enough to make up for the one flavour I’m picking out of this session that isn’t landing with me.

All in all, I think I got a very solid eight or nine steeps before the flavour decline into spent leaf – most of them stacked two steeps at a time since I was using a pitcher/cup set much bigger than the pot I brewed in. One of the perks to working from home is deskside gongfu sessions, and this was a very splendid one!

I brewed 7.3 grams in 110ml glazed teapot, water just off the boil, flash brews. The warmed dry leaf smelled like some kind of candy - toffee maybe? I couldn’t place it but it seemed like I’ve smelled it before, brought back vague memories. The rinse brewed out golden and clear. Fragrance from the brewed leaves was like some kind of conifer but that’s just a guess. Mysterious would be a better description. Tasted not sweet, not bitter, somewhere in between, maybe just a teeny bit sour. But this was only the rinse so…. Throughout the session broth was beautiful gold, bright and clear. Sometimes I would get a hint of blackberry jam from the brewed leaves. Lightly sweet with a thickish mouthfeel that seemed to stimulate saliva. Energy came on quickly yet subtly, dreamy and warm, and stayed with me for the better part of my day. Nice, calm and thoughtful. Мery fine and unusual tea. A perfect way to start.

The "Lord of the Forest" is a wonderful tea. Very mild and yet with a subtle great depth. A very peculiar tea in a positive sense with a lot of space to get involved and experience it. I have not had such an experience with other Pu Erh. Likewise the scent of the wet leaves. In sum, hard to describe. Plum keeps coming to mind. A tea with a lot of mildness and yet great depth. Very meditative and mystical. Very relaxing Qi.

Joder joder joder........Joder, que bueno y diferente a cualquier otro pu-erh que haya preparado. I'm sorry I'm not very helpful.
F*ck f*ck f*ck........F*ck, so good and unlike any other pu-erh I've brewed. [note, translation from Spanish by TEASIDE]

After the second cup, there was whistling in my ears and silence in my mind. I had it at the beginning of my puerh path, about 7 years ago, from Dayi's V93 of 2012.