dogma_i wrote:
> A friend just received a fancy-wrapped tea cake...

Looks like it is, as some speculated, an unripe heicha. Cakes are
actually discs sliced from a cylinder ca. 3" in diameter - possibly a
100-tael log? (Or 200, as perhaps indicated by the name?)

Tea had no smell dry (and not much wet); color grayish yellow-green.
Infusion was unexpectedly copper-colored rather than yellow-green. I
brewed a new sheng Pu'er, a shu tuocha, and a pressed Yancha oolong for
comparison. Flavor was mild, not astringent or bitter, slightly sweet
increasing with steep count. Not very interesting, really, but not bad
at all.

Images at http://tinyurl.com/moq6y6, which says (after autotranslation):

""Golden Flower" is the coronoid process of the Mainz pouch, commonly
known as San, the original series of products for black tea in the
unique brick tea Fu.... Fu processing blocks "发花" process is the
formation of the unique quality of brick tea Fu key technology, the
essence of which is by controlling the temperature and humidity
conditions must promote bacteria - bacteria capsule loose coronoid
process of growth and reproduction, resulting in the closure of gold
capsule shell, which in the brick tea Fu content of the tea taste, aroma
is closely related to a direct impact on the quality of brick tea Fu,
border consumer has always been based on "Golden Flower" to judge the
quality and quantity of brick tea quality were the pros, there are "
good tea gold flowers and spent more than a good quality tea, "said."

Seems that either this particular tea is older than I expected, or that
there's some ripening before the logs are dried. I suggested that the
owners park it someplace warm and damp, and try it again in a few years.

Thanks for your thoughts-

DM