* The price is not wrong but this year's 8653 is indeed more expensive than neighbor years' (even former years') from Xiaguan. Though we can't tell the difference on blind test.
Tight and neat tea threads with great appearance.
Clear tea liquor with brightness.
Slight smoky flavor with tea original fragrance.
Sweetness along with medium bitterness and astringency.
Refreshing tea flavor with strength which usually comes little slowly but strong.
Thick taste with mellowness.
T version due to the hard cake which ages much slower but well preserves the original new tea unique fragrance.
FT version's tea has more soft flavor other than strength like general version.
Well recommended to learn about puerh tea and enjoy it in daily tea life.
Guangzhou natural storage.
__________________________________________
"8653" as a benchmark sheng puerh in market was originally produced according to order from buyer in Japan in 1985 year and later sold via a branch company in ShenZhen city of CNNP tea group. But this order was once cancelled by buyer after the tea had been produced. CNNP had to sell this tea in domestic market then.
In 1988 year, it was officially name as 8653 due to the blend recipe was initiated in 1986 year using 5th grade tea materials as main and the production tea factory Xia Guan is No.3 during CNNP group.
It has serval variations including general "8653", "T 8653" which was pressed into iron like hard cake ( "T" is from Chinese pin yin "Tie Bing" which means iron cake), "FT 8653" which is according to order from "Fei Tai" (Fly to Taiwan) tea company who sells this tea to Taiwan and it uses more younger and tinier tea leaves to make the taste less roughness, and "FTT 8653" which is iron cake and ordered by FT tea company.