2011 XiaGuan "Jin Se Yin Xiang" (Golden Image) Cake 357g Puerh Raw Tea Sheng Cha

It has the typical XiaGuan “tight” compression to it as I tried to pick out enough to brew. It was difficult to break the chunks I pried off into smaller pieces to infuse with.
The aroma of the dry leaf had a mossy peat moss smell to it. I gave it a flash rinse of about 5 seconds to wake it up some. I really think I should have gone longer due to the compression.
First brew good amber color, some smoke with a touch of bitter and drying at the end of the sip. Lighter than most Xia Guan at this stage probably should have steeped a bit longer.
Second infusion about 10 seconds color is good and the brew is much stronger. Much more smoke to it some floral and bitter and drying astringency that turns to a soft sweet barely noticeable on the end. Hui Gan is nice on this one and you can kind of “feel” the older leaf pushing up in the later infusion.
Xia Guan lover’s would like this one.

Just beginning to develop a smoother, semi-aged flavor profile. Fragrance of the wet leaves is recognizably Xiaguan, but not smoky. Earthy, cedar wood, bitter flavors in the first steeps, but minimal astringency. Nice kougan, huigan comes slowly. Quite enjoyable now, will likely improve with further aging. A reasonably complex puerh for a fair price.