TomVerlain wrote:The flavor profile of a majority of shus is very similar - that is true - the process is a process that tastes like the process (if that makes sense). But if you look at a 7262, the leaf is pretty nice. There are "Gong Ting" shus as well. Not all shu is floor sweepings.
Agreed! IMHO, shu taste more complex than sheng. Many don't have liking for shu pu mainly due to the complexity of it's aroma and taste. From my limited exposure to pu'erh, i've come across shu that are poorly stored, hence, leaving a strong woody and 'fermentation' smell to the tea. I've personally thrown away a couple of shu as a result of poor storage.
I just had some early 90s Gong Ting... very nice.
Jedi wrote:For example, I have a rather old sheng, around 30 years old, and a rather old shu, of about the same age. They are each almost magical in property, and would I compare them? No...
Yes!... The Jedi has spoken... I was just wondering when would you say your fair share of comments... Anything above 30 years old, stored in the ideal condition, is magical and unforgetable!
Cheers!!