1980/90s Passage

In a Sentence

A wise, calming companion.

Wet Leaf Aroma

musty, cellar, sweet like licorice/molasses, chinese medicine/camphor

Tasting Notes

First impression is a soft and smooth mouthfeel, sweet - with a hint of dryness on the tongue, turning quickly into a juicy, mouthwatering sensation. There’s a gentle mustiness - old paper, smokeyness - followed by a quick returning sweetness. Everything is well integrated. The flavour sits in a multi-layered malty ‘barley like’ sweetness, carried by a soft, woody, camphorous body with musty and medicinal notes. I get cooling in the throat, a clearing of the nostrils, and an expansive feel. After swallowing there’s a faint trace of dry herbal notes, almost slightly metallic if you will. The aftertaste lingers nicely with sweet medicinal notes and a hunch of smokeyness in the mouth cavity. Later steeps highlight the licorice type sweetness with a simpler, but still nuanced profile.

What it feels like

deep

Quick

Sheng ★★★★★ Global Tea Hut FAV

Details

Entry Date

30.01.2026

Country

China

Region

Blend

Price EUR/50g

Link

globalteahut.org

Properties

Qi (1-5) i The tea’s felt effect on body and mind.

5 strongly calming - straight from the first cup

Huí Gān i Returning sweetness after bitterness, perceived after swallowing.

quickly returning sweetness, and salivation

Hóu Yùn i Throat resonance — the depth and length of the finish.

silky, like warm air

Kōu Gǎn i Mouthfeel: texture, density, softness, or dryness.

oily, juicy sweet coating, mouthwatering right away

Journal

2026-01

I do not crave very old tea like this very often, but this calming energy has been quite an experience. The description of the blend says: “It can changes your day.” - I can approve that.

It is an 8582 type blend from supposedly the 1980s and 1990s which is hard to verify on those vintage loose leaf teas. And they also mentioned it might just be a blend of some younger wet‑store tea and a bit of shu.

With this kind of storage and the fact that it’s loose leaf the aging is well adavanced.

Also pricewise loose leaf are often a sweet spot because they are less sought after by collectors while still the energy is still great.

Tasting it, everything feels very well integrated, with a subtle, layered complexity that’s there in each sip.

The session starts off a bit musty, which subsides in later steeps but always remains noticeable. Flavor has a multi-layered sweetness and barley like taste with subtle facets. There’s also this note that always reminds me of sharpened pencil shavings. Underneath it all runs a soft, woody camphor body like Chinese-medicine , which remains gentle throughout.

The energy is very yin. Calming, soothing, and melting int your body. Still strong somehow, and warming also.

This is one of those teas, where it’s all about the experience, - love it.