I do not know much about this tea that avid puerh drinkers can't tell by the name and the number. I also like how Hou De on their sample bags gives a rather throurough description, though sadly under manufacturer it just says "CNNP."
To borrow a descriptor from Tim at "The Mandarin's Tea" I'd describe this tea as Powdery, a little bit talc like with a faded young taste to it. The leaves for this tea look less brown and rusty, and more of a faded greyish/green just starting to brown, and as such trusting this is a tea from 1996, I can only assume this is what a relatively dry stored 13 year old tea tastes like.
In fact, this tea is starting to grow on me. and when I think back to teas form mid-late 90's I have had and compare it to this tea, I can formulate a much clearer idea of that wet storage taste that people mention.
Basically this is the only tea from Pre-2000 that I have had that to me tastes fresh still. It isn't musty, or wet leaves, or even all that earthy. And I think a slight camphor taste is really contributing to the "freshness".
Though that being said, I like this sample for its uniqueness. But I would not buy a whole cake unless I was to further age it. While it does taste fresh, it tastes like a very powdery young cake.
Edit 5/11/10
This tea aroma is rather comforting, its fresh and clean, but rather nature like in the sense that it is slightly floral. The taste though is like a very strong young puerh though. Not mellowed like a more humid storage would provide. But this tea is quite powdery in the mouth and very drying.
This is turning rather nice with very quick steeps as is slowly gives way to softer and softer infusions. Its rather velvety in terms of mouth feel, and really sticks with you in the finish.
This was rather enjoyable tonight, and I do not know if it is the tea, but I am feeling quite like laying down for a good nights sleep.
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