The most perfect puer I've ever tasted.
I brewed my first Barren Mountain with 3g in my yixing teapot, gongfu style. My tasting notes from the first cup are: nutty, invigorating, brief note of candy-like sweetness, and freshly cut lumber. The tea gave me such a positive, invigorating sensation, that my upper cheeks felt lifted, which I've never felt before from tea. I would identify this as from the strong qi of the tea. The second cup was similar. The flavors were a bit more muted in cups 3 through 5, but the full-bodied, consistent, invigorating and smooth flavor remained. The word that comes to mind is balance - the flavor is a perfect balance of the harsh and smooth sensations that come with puer. It was right in the middle, but had its own character. Sidenote: The leaves were absolutely gorgeous. I'm not sure why exactly but the individual leaves had a very appealing texture and scent. A tea master might give a far richer description, but I absolutely need to drink this tea again and may experiment with different brewing methods. After drinking puer almost daily for over 2 years this one really stands out. Enjoy!