2018 LaoTongZhi "9908 - Cha Tou Lao Zhuan" ( LaoChaTou Brick ) 500g Puerh Ripe Tea Shou Cha

I made it strong to start, with 550ml/8gr liquid/leaf. Boiling water in a canning jar. Has an oily surface and smells very mild/earthy, getting a chocolate oakiness flavor. It goes and goes all day grampa style, continued with boiling water refills. Not a strong earthy brew flavor, dry leaf matter has an earthy smell. If made weaker it would be great for a newbie. Leaf did flake easy with an ice pick pry, got good chunks over all. I used all leaf matter. Letting it sit a bit longer for another trial once more acclimated to my home. Great brick overall. Good cha qi.

The tea consists of small nuggets with burnt umber colour. The tea material smells like cinnamon and milk chocolate. After a quick rinse, the leaves took up ebony colour and they smelled like a musty cellar, almonds, decomposing wood and cocoa butter. The tea soup was amber at first, but then became deep ruby with thick and oily texture.
The tea soup tasted like condensed milk, cocoa, salted caramel, with some fungal, decaying wood in the background. The empty cup smelled like cocoa nibs. The tea had a sweet, slightly medicinal finish.
I used 7g leaf in a 100ml gaiwan and blasted it with as close to boiling water as one can. The cha tou shined in it. The first 3 brews were mild and sweet, but the next 10 were constant, thick, muddy and woody, just how I like it.
This tea is perfect for a modern, snowless winter afternoon, it just warms the body and mind.

Good value ripe. I prefer to use a gaiwan for it than my yixing.