I love the thick, brothy mouthfeel and notes of forest floor along with sweet mushrooms, tree bark, and moss I find in this Dian Hong … and of course, those tantalizing bursts of citrus fruits, blossoms, and undertones of buckwheat honey that integrate so well in with the rest of the flavor profile. There’s tons of dark and deeply fermented chocolate notes oozing out of every corner of the flavor profile too – it’s like a whole chocolate fountain drenching everything around it. So yummy. To be honest, there’s a lot of good Dian Hong out there that will convey similar flavors – chocolate, fruits, flowers, honey, etc. – but very few come close to expressing the depth of terroir that I’m finding in Lincang Centenarians. The reason this stands out to me so much is because I can taste the mountains and the forest. This is clearly old-tree material, with profound depth beyond its surface-layer flavors. It sinks deeply into the body and conveys the essence of old trees very well, which is what I personally seek out in connoisseur-grade experiences like this. The batch I’m enjoying is from 2016, which makes it about 9 years old at the time of this review. Its age has tempered certain characteristics nicely, and resulted in a very cohesive experience. The flavors are slippery smooth going across the palate, and the aftertaste and lingering sensations are strong as they progressively build.
