Roasted papaya seeds as a coffee substitute, with monk fruit seeds

Oddly I wasn't trying to see if roasted papaya seeds might work as a coffee substitute, and I certainly wasn't focusing on any specific health claim benefits.  It came up that the seeds might be healthy, so I prepared them in an arbitrary way, and it was amazing how similar they are to coffee.  You can skip ahead to that part in a "review" section, or hear about the background, and another tisane I prepaired them with, monk-fruit seeds.  It's more or less some sort of super-food input too, it turns out; strange.

 

This all started with seeing a gag video of a woman eating a papaya, consuming the seeds instead of the fruit.  Several comments said that you really should eat them, that they're healthy, especially related to clearing out internal parasites.  So I dried them the next time I bought a papaya, a couple days later.  That cost me less than $2 for a huge, almost ripe one; Thailand is an absolute paradise for tropical fruit.

I warmed them in a toaster oven for 20 minutes and they didn't fully dry, so I gave them another 20 minutes at 160 C.  That seemed to roast them a little, going beyond drying them, which didn't seem like a concern, or maybe even a positive input.  

I then crushed them in a mortar and pestle device and brewed them along with a sweet Chinese herb my favorite shop owners gave me last week (seeds of a monk fruit, it turns out).  It's a little too sweet and a bit one-dimensional on its own, so it seemed perfect for combining with this, since surely dried papaya seeds aren't very sweet (probably; I guess I still don't know that for sure).

Let's check on monk fruit background and health benefits and then set that aside:

Monk fruit is known for its delicious, sweet taste that comes from natural antioxidants such as flavonoids and mogrosides. It is currently gaining popularity as a natural, low-calorie sweetener.

Monk fruit extract has been used in traditional medicine for centuries due to the following potential health benefits:

Prevents oxidative damage

Studies in rats and mice have shown that monk fruit antioxidants have protective effects...

Research suggests that flavonoids and mogrosides in monk fruit can reduce blood sugar levels. According to a study, monk fruit extract can reduce inflammation, repair damaged cells in the pancreas, and relieve symptoms in mice with diabetes...

Research shows that eating mogrosides helps suppress fat and cholesterol levels and reduce body weight in mice with obesity...

Monk fruit polysaccharides can increase the activity and function of immune system organs like the thymus and spleen in mice... 

Monk fruit can protect the liver and even repair liver damage....

That shop owner (Kittichai of Jip Eu) said that it helps with a fever, that you can take it to help your immune system when you are sick.  I got the impression that he also meant that it reduces internal heat in the Traditional Chinese Medicine sense, the heat / cold / wind / qi kind of theme, which I know nothing about.  

It's definitely really sweet, and it has a more pleasant flavor than stevia, which has more of an aftertaste.

Review:

it's oily

This is really good.  I really didn't expect this to be good; that wasn't in the range of what I expected as a possible outcome.  It tastes like coffee; this could be coffee.  Then there's an herbal edge to it's that's not coffee, so I suppose it could be coffee flavored in some way, like with one of those flavored creamers.  Of course I can't separate the input of the monk fruit, but from having that alone earlier it adds a relatively neutral and intense sweetness. 

The flavor list:  coffee, mild bitterness, oily / creamy feel (ok, that's not a flavor), sweetness (a little like stevia, but not as aggressive, but with a similar but lighter aftertaste).  There's also an odd flavor resembling root spice, like root beer, so sassafras root.  A rich, warm dried fruit tone resembles tamarind; that might be partly from the monk fruit, and I just don't remember it tasting like that, since maybe the sweetness overpowered the flavor trying it alone.

The oily feel is odd; that's pleasant, in this context, but paired with other flavors it could be really off-putting.  It's just like how gas station coffee feels when you add artificial creamer to it; it's thicker and creamier than cream causes.  There is literally an oil coating on the top of this so that's no wonder.  They're seeds; they can contain as much oil as they happen to.

for once I Western-style brewed something, and used a strainer

Second infusion:  like the first round, but much thinner.  The sweetness of that herb is even more pronounced, because those just keep brewing, but the papaya seed is surely done now.  It's even closer to gas station coffee now.

I don't mean that as a criticism.  For older people who were there in the 20th century gas station coffee was a respectable thing.  I would add for younger people that it's like grocery store tin coffee but I bet that's not going to help.  Like McDonald's coffee, or Tim Horton's?  Just kidding; I only eat the doughnuts there, and I don't know what it's like.  Their maple cream-filled doughnuts are so good though.

I bet if you bumped this roast level just a little it could seem like French roast.  This is still medium roast level, and since there is no "light" that means light (outside the coffee world; they probably have it).  Then with actual cream and sugar it might seem even more like coffee, almost exactly like it.

Background on papaya seeds as coffee replacement, health benefits

I Google searched use of papaya seeds as a coffee replacement, and it doesn't seem like a common theme, but it did turn up.  This wasn't what I expected:  The Potency of Carica papaya L. Seeds Powderas Anti- Obesity ‘Coffee’ Drinks

Other formal and informal sources aren't making and reviewing this health claim, or even mentioning this subject.  Here is their conclusion:

Based on the above explanation, it can be concluded that 25.1 grams of papaya seed powder can be obtained from 250.0 grams of wet papaya seeds. Most respondents like the texture, color, aroma, and taste of papaya seeds ‘coffee’. The pancreatic lipase inhibition power of 1.42 gram of papaya seed powder is equivalent to 1 tablet (120.0 mg) of Orlistat. Therefore, using papaya seed powder as antiobesity ‘coffee’ drink is reasonable.

Reasonable?  The obvious question is "what is a lipase inhibitor?"  Then next one might wonder if these results are reliable, and if these papaya seeds really function as that as claimed (supported by their actual research study, so maybe).  But let's start with what they are claiming.

Wikipedia article on Orlistat:

Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical among others, is a medication used to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet by acting as a lipase inhibitor, thereby reducing caloric intake. It is intended for use in conjunction with a healthcare provider-supervised reduced-calorie diet.[4]...

Sure, but again what even is a lipase inhibitor?

Human pancreatic lipase

Pancreatic lipase, also known as pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase or steapsin, is an enzyme secreted from the pancreas. As the primary lipase enzyme that hydrolyzes (breaks down) dietary fat molecules in the human digestive system, it is one of the main digestive enzymes, converting triglyceride substrates like 1 found in ingested oils to monoglycerides 3 and free fatty acids 2a and 2b.[5]

So it stops you from digesting some of the fat that you eat.  And this is why the Wikipedia article on Orlistat mentions that a lipase inhibitor can cause your stool (your poop) to seem oily and have a loose texture.  A little of that would go a long way.

It's impossible to estimate my dosage from that.  This might've been about 5 grams (could be 7), and they said that 10 grams makes 1 gram of powder, and you should take 1.4.  So I'm at one third to half of a normal dose, from the seeds from one large papaya?  I'll add how that went in terms of digestion impact tomorrow.  [later edit:  noticeable, and like Wikipedia described, but not problematic].

Reading around these sources they say that it works (lipase inhibitors, not papaya seeds).  I don't want anything adjusting my digestive system, even though I did gain one kg the last time I was weighed (up to 75; I might fast for a week instead of 5 days next time, to get that kg back off).

The standard health-page input is that it's good for supplementation and treating all sorts of things, including bacterial infections, fungal infections, and parasites.  Who knows; maybe.

It's good though, pleasant to drink.  I'll make this again the next time I buy a papaya, since the trees in our yard don't seem to be on that page of offering one just now.  

that's 4 of them, but the middle one has died since

Thinking back this may be the closest I've come to drinking coffee this year.  That's crazy!  In the past I would sometimes drink it at work, but I barely go to work in the office now, one day a week, unless I'm out of the country working remotely.  I'm in the habit of drinking tea-bag tea there now, since I never took tea and an infuser to that new office site.  Then I would drink coffee at hotel breakfasts when we travel in Thailand, but we last traveled in Thailand in Dec-Jan, the holiday break.  

I guess I'm not much of a conventional American now.  At least I've been in a cycle of eating hamburgers recently, but still made out of ground pork, still following the norm that Thais don't eat beef, even though I'm living alone.  At least I grill sometimes?

I'm shocked that this tisane was this good, that it's far and away the best "herb tea" replacement for coffee that I've ever tried, so close to the flavor and feel of coffee.  Who knows about the health claims; those don't seem to matter, unless you could arrange to drink it regularly.

It's a little odd that I experimented with using papaya leaf as a tisane almost 8 years ago and this theme never came up.

Anyone who eats papaya once in awhile should give this a try.  Not even for the health claims, or to replace coffee, just because it's actually good.

Steve Shafer on Vietnamese wild-origin teas

all photos but finished tea imaged credit Steve's FB page

The following is a series of questions and answers about Vietnamese teas, about variations in types, especially wild-origin sheng, and all sorts of related background issues with Steve Shafer of Viet Sun. 

For people who are touchy about how the pu'er / puerh designation is used outside of Yunnan, the regional type designation theme, I think it works here that his first reference is to "raw puerh style" tea, versus just calling it pu'er, and then he doesn't awkwardly keep repeating that long version.  I tend to include a similar designation statement in every related post, and then just call it sheng afterwards; there has to be some practical work-around.

Can you describe what high quality tea production looks like in Vietnam, related to the most interesting styles produced and general demand?

My experience is mostly with the old tree “wild-origin” type teas so I will comment mostly on that. For raw puerh style would be good raw material selection, wok processing compared to kill-green machine processing, single day sun-drying on bamboo mats compared to tarp drying, clean factory conditions. Factory design in these areas can be similar to what you would find in Yunnan and the other bordering countries.  

The most famous green tea in Vietnam is made in Thái Nguyên. Some people still use woks and make tea from older, seed-grown tea trees there.

 

What are your personal favorites?

I’m a raw puerh lover at heart so that makes up most of what I drink on a day to day basis. I’d say my favorite areas for Vietnamese raw puerh are Tủa Chùa, Sùng Đô, Háng Đồng and Lào Cai. I also really enjoy teas of all styles made from those wild purple varietal trees. They tend to be easy drinking, gentle on the body and have interesting physical and mental effects for me. 

What channels are selling the best teas in Vietnam now, which forms like dedicated website portals, Facebook groups, shops, etc.? 

Many tea producers are on Facebook and it’s quite common for customers to contact them directly to buy tea. There are many tea shops in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh but it seems like only a few have success selling tea in-person to customers. Many physical tea shops have an online presence through a website and/ or social media channels which is where I’d bet most of the sales are taking place for them. 

What is next for even better tea production to develop in Vietnam?

A major factor driving this is demand. With higher demand for these good teas, more producers will focus their efforts on making them. Knowledge will be shared and the overall average quality of tea in a given area should rise. One of the most important factors in wild-origin tea production is raw material quality. Many of these tea tree areas have unsustainable management practices and a decreasing quality of raw material. With a higher demand for quality should bring about more farmers implementing more sustainable tea area management practices. The government might eventually get involved in offering protection and implementation of these more sustainable management practices as well.

If someone had already tried pretty good rolled oolong, fishhook style green tea, and sheng from Vietnam what would be next for them to explore?  New regions, even better versions, or something else?

Trying teas from other terroirs in those styles you have enjoyed and from other reputable vendors could be a good next step. Some of the classics for me would be Tủa Chùa/ Sùng Đô raw puerh, Tà Xùa green, Suối Giàng silver needle white, Hoàng Su Phì black, Cao Bồ ripe puerh. Those wild purple varietal teas from Lai Châu province can also be great but try your best to buy from vendors with sustainable tea making practices. 

Based on my experience lots of Vietnamese sheng is oxidized a little more than for mainstream Yunnan style, but in plenty of cases this can be exceptional, if drank as young tea.  Do you feel that this impacts aging potential?  Is it something that you think producers should correct for, or does it work matched with some material type, or as a local style variation?

Yes, that is quite common here. One of the biggest factors resulting in those higher oxidation teas is weather. The spring and autumn tea seasons are quite foggy/ rainy in many tea areas. Some teas could have been under withered and/ or have had a slow multi-day sun-drying stage. These two factors can both result in a higher oxidation and “reddened” tea. Another factor that results in those higher oxidation teas is lack of a good processing schedule. Some producers do not follow processing schedules conducive to making good tea. Some could be left too long after kill green/ rolling before drying, dried in a thick layer on nylon tarps etc… Weather is something we cannot change but having a good processing schedule is something we can! 

Those unintentional higher oxidation teas are very common but there are also some pleasant intentionally oxidized teas being produced. I’ve seen producers do everything that a typical high-quality raw puerh processing schedule would include but extend the time after rolling by a few hours. I’ve also seen some people dry the leaves about halfway, keep them overnight inside the factory, and then dry them in a thicker layer the following morning. 

For aging potential, I think these styles of teas are better young than aged. The oldest raw puerh in this style that I’ve tried was 5 years old and it was already almost like a black or long aged white tea. The balance of bitterness/ astringency/ sweetness was off for me but it would be interesting to see how these teas develop over longer periods of aging. These “reddened” teas could be suitable for people new to raw puerh and/or anyone looking for a more gentle, easier drinking raw puerh experience as the bitterness and astringency are reduced significantly.

Is development and increase in incomes in Vietnam proportional to awareness and demand expansion of better teas?

I think so. The economy is growing rapidly and there is a rising middle class. It seems like many people have more disposable income than before and are taking up hobbies. Healthy/ green activities are becoming more mainstream and high quality tea easily falls into that. There are new tea shops opening frequently in bigger cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. 

Are mainstream forms of better versions of teas expanding in any way?  Is there anything like a Vietnamese Dayi or Xiaguan, or a comparable large high quality tea production, marketing, and sales, across any main tea type (black, green, per region, etc.)?

A couple of larger scale companies have been around for a while and are popular in the country. Shanam, Bash Tea, Tân Cương Xanh and Trà Việt come to mind. Shanam and Bash Tea focus on wild-origin teas, Tân Cương Xanh focus on Thái Nguyên green tea and Trà Việt on a bit of everything.

Can you say a little about terroir differences in Vietnamese wild origin tea in relation to Laos or Yunnan tea?  It’s an impossibly broad theme, and one that mixes with too many other process related factors, but an example or two of how you see it would still be interesting.

I haven’t been to enough places in Yunnan and Laos to give you concrete answers but generally the weather in the tea areas in Vietnam is warmer and more humid than areas in Yunnan. Many tea areas here have foggy, humid, misty weather many months out of the year. There are more plants/ mosses/ lichens growing on and around the tea trees in Vietnam compared to Yunnan. The elevations of good tea areas in Vietnam are lower on average than the ones in Yunnan. This could result in different soil compositions/ quality?  But you’d have to ask someone with more experience than me about that. 

Can you add a little on the difference between a general wild origin “good material” theme and final prepared tea aspects varying?

In raw puerh, raw material really is king. I’ve had teas made from great raw material and rough processing that still ended up being pretty great. On the other hand I’ve had tea made from average/ lower quality raw material that was processed well and resulted in just mediocre tea. The “taste of the mountain” shines through unless the processing is really off. 

I’ve tried Thai wild origin material tea that was quite good, distinctive in different ways for different versions, but one example was unusually sour.  Is this familiar as a plant-type related input?  Of course it could also relate to a processing flaw, but it seems like an unusual flavor range approaching sourness from some purple teas isn’t completely unrelated.

Sourness is a common note in many of those wild non-Sinensis varietal teas here. That sourness can manifest as an unripe fruit, tamarind like note in certain tea styles that I really enjoy if it balances well with the other flavors. I’ve also had sourness Assamica black/ white/ puerh tea but that was due to processing issues. 

Can you say a little about purple plant type tea?

Purple tea seems to have a couple different meanings. One could be Sinensis/ Assamica tea trees that have purple leaves due to genetic defects, the other being non-Sinensis varietals.  I’ve seen the occasional Assamica tree with some purple leaves. I’ve never tried a tea made exclusively from those trees and I think it would be hard to get enough raw material to make much tea at all due to the scarcity of those trees. 

Vietnam has many varietals of those non-Sinensis tea trees growing at 1800-2500m+ in elevation. Many of these trees have purple/ red/ orange/ yellow-green leaves with different leaf shapes compared to the typical Assamica. All of those varietals could be lumped into the “purple tea” category. I really enjoy teas made from these types of trees as they are easy drinking (gentle, fragrant, sweet, low bitterness/ astringency) when produced as any style of tea. Many have a thick mouthfeel, lasting huigan and strong body effects for me.

An Assamica based oolong I’ve tried from Viet Sun was quite pleasant.  Can you add background about that tea type, if it’s prepared in a similar way as a Chinese or Taiwanese type, and how the Assamica plant type input varies?

Sure, that was made in Hoàng Su Phì, Hà Giang province. That area is high on fragrance and sweetness and lower on bitterness/ astringency. The processing combines elements of raw puerh, oolong and black tea processing. It undergoes a long withering, shaking, medium-oxidation, wok kill-green, rolling, sun-drying and roasting. It is a loose leaf style so would be comparable to a strip-style oolong but the raw material input makes it look more like a loose-leaf raw puerh. The tea maker who makes our tea recommends aging it for at least a year. He mentions that the aging period really helps settle it down and become more balanced. Seems like it can be difficult to make that raw material work as an oolong. 

A Western-facing outlet like Hatvala has built up better Vietnamese tea awareness over a number of years.  Do you feel that Viet Sun customers are generally coming from that prior exposure, or is it more that people learn of better Vietnamese tea more than continue earlier demand for it?

We have a handful of customers who have tried Hatvala teas, enjoyed them and wanted to explore other options from Vietnam. Many of our customers have never heard about (or at least anything good about) Vietnamese tea but have found out about us through word of mouth or social media/ chat forums. It seems like a good percentage of our customers are Yunnan tea enthusiasts and with our catalog being “puerh” heavy,  it makes sense that they might be more willing to try teas from vendors like us. 

Are you being contacted by Western (US or European) shops about them carrying Vietnamese teas, or are your customers only tea enthusiasts making direct purchases?

Yes, we wholesale to a handful of businesses in the US, Canada and Europe as well as International retail. 

Thoughts on this discussion

Really the point here was to share Steve's input, to allow readers to access some of the types of ideas I sometimes run across in talking to vendors or producers.  I wanted to add just a little on how I took these ideas though.

The last two questions about development of tea awareness and demand in Vietnam related to my curiosity about trends tending to come and go in tea circles, to versions from Nepal or Georgia becoming popular, and known for quality and good character, for example.  To me Vietnam is sort of a different case because plenty of range of tea has been produced there for a long time, and quality levels have certainly been mixed, but they didn't just start producing good versions recently.  Maybe some are more consistent and better recently, but I've tried great Vietnamese tea versions for years, and it was always odd that the word didn't get out faster.  

For living in Thailand I probably shouldn't add that Vietnamese teas at the higher end have been more diverse and just better than from Thailand for years, but at least the best Thai versions are now catching up and holding their own.  There were rare exceptions before, and sheng has previously been inconsistent from both countries.

I was wondering to what extent that awareness and demand shift is happening now, and Steve covered a few points that relate to that.  Hopefully it ramps up fast enough for Steve's business to do well, for him to keep offering interesting and pleasant teas, but maybe not fast enough to outpace production, so pricing stays as favorable as it currently is.

Sort of related, the two versions I bought recently I love more and more as I keep drinking them (a black tea and sheng).  Sometimes you can try something exceptional and it's the novelty that carries the experience, something like quality level markers showing through, and other times you can relate to more basic teas even better, because they match what you like, and the limitations mean little in relation to the positive aspects or overall impression.  The best case is when good teas click for you, not necessarily those matching a standard type the best, or showing off quality through the most rare or refined aspects, but just good, pleasant versions.  Those you can enjoy over and over.  

Dian Hong often tends to be like that for me, and to me that black tea seems related to that character range.  Slightly atypical versions of sheng, related to Yunnan character range, can relate to different terroir input, or to processing variations.  In some cases the balance seems off, and in others novel flavors and extra complexity really comes together.  For me the Sơn La version balance really worked.

The rest of what Steve said covers ideas that are familiar; we have discussed similar things, or they've come up talking to other friends in Vietnam.  His input expressed a lot of range clearly and concisely, extending what I've heard before.  The parts about concerns related to sustainability, sourness in atypical plant type versions, on purple teas, and on typical regional aspect character were particularly interesting to me.  It was great that Steve was open to discussing other source options as much as he did, to help place where the whole market stands; vendors usually aren't like that.

Many thanks to Steve for sharing these ideas!

this sheng brewed color matches part of the story told here

Wuyi Origin 2019 Rou Gui

A friend recently sent a few interesting teas to try, including a 2019 Wuyi Origin Rou Gui.  

I wrote review notes before looking up what he said it was, beyond remembering it was Rou Gui, and it probably is the same version I used for this water type testing back in 2019, or maybe it's not.  Not much comes of looking back to compare character; it sounds similar, but that was focused on minor differences between using Volvic bottled water and filtered local tap water for brewing.

It's interesting that this isn't the fruitier style of Rou Gui I have tried more of in the past.  They make and sell both versions; I'm not sure what that difference relates to.  It would seem that it would have to be a slightly different plant type variation, that they couldn't use processing differences to cause that much of a main aspects range shift, or that terroir input would cause that particular change.  Or maybe that's completely wrong, and it is more related to one of those inputs.  Cindy has mentioned before that the exact same plants can be especially fruity some years, which they can notice even when picking the leaves, from the scent of fresh oils on them, so for sure growing conditions each year play a role.

Wuyi Origin sells a 2023 version that seems likely to be similar, citing all they say about it here:

Location: Qing shi yan (青狮岩）

Harvest: 2023.May.3rd

Cultivar：Rou gui  cultivar

Roasting level:  Medium Roasting ( 3 times charcoal fire roasting )

                                    The first time :  20th of June

                                    The second time : 24st of July                              

                                    The thrid time : 10th of September

This cinnamon is in Qingshiyan Zhengyan Mountain Farm, and the tea garden is on the flat ground. The sunshine shines from morning till night, and there is plenty of sunshine time. The unique growth environment makes this cinnamon have a very direct and sharp cinnamon. The first infusion  is full of fragrance. Cinnamon aroma is flamboyant, strong and lasting. Cinnamon fragrance always exists from beginning to the end, and there is no  any fertilizer and pesticide using  in this tea garden 

Medium charcoal roasting,  stewed this tea has ripe fruit flavor, its tea soup is fragrant and pure, and its taste is mellow, thick and sweet.

This Rou Gui was hand-made the totally steps  We made it by hand from picking fresh leaves, Oxidation, and then the last Maocha sorting . The tea strip is very compact and complete. The raw fresh leaves is from Qingshiyan garden ,it is  part of Zhengyan Farm in WuYi National Garden Park . 

Highly recommended, this is a very standard  taste of the Rou Gui Cultivar with "spicy " and "ripe fruit" fragrance.

The Feature of this tea is quite direct ,you can get it easily .

Suggestion: 7-8g / 80 ml gaiwan or Pot . 100C

I last reviewed a Rou Gui that was supposedly from the Zhengyan park area in September (and I think it was), a sample from a local Chinatown shop, from Jip Eu.  It wasn't on this quality level.  That doesn't necessarily mean that the origin area was mis-represented; just being from a famous origin area, where conditions are generally quite favorable for growing those plant types, doesn't mean that a tea will achieve a certain quality level.  That tea was really good, clearly better than the medium quality re-sale outlet version I compared it to in that post, but this version is the next step up.

It's a little early to be getting into conclusions but this website version--not the one I'm tasting--sells for $15 for 25 grams, not discounted when buying more volume as their site is set up.  

There is some room for improvement in the version I'm trying; it could be slightly more complex, or refined, with slightly extended aftertaste experience.  

But all of those aspects are already so positive that it wouldn't necessarily be easy to notice that improvement; this contains no flaws, and all the positive aspects are pretty far up the scale.  And I suspect that aging (this being a 4 year old version) has muted the higher end / more aromatic flavor range, bringing out more smoothness and depth, so part of what I'm saying could be more intense relates to a difference in tea type instead, to how somewhat aged versions vary from newer ones.  Then it's down to what people value most in tea experience, whether that's an improvement or it's not as good.

Review:

first infusion:  that's heavier on cinnamon than Cindy's Rou Gui usually are.  Somehow there are two different styles or versions of them, with one quite fruity, including citrus, or even peach, and the other the more familiar cinnamon.  Per an input from a local Chinatown shop owner it's even similar to a specific version of cinnamon; as I recall one type is regarded as true cinnamon and another a related variation.  Maybe he said similar to Vietnamese cinnamon?  That would probably only be a confusing form of reference to a secondary plant type.  Anyway...

This tastes like cinnamon.  Maybe there is some fruit tone included, but it's really mostly that, with some warm mineral base.  It's clean, and balanced; pretty good Rou Gui (with "pretty good" used here in the understated sense).  Oxidation level must be a little higher than I'm accustomed to in their fruity style Rou Gui, or I could easily be mixing up a roast input, or it could be both.  

This comes across as balanced and complex for one flavor note standing out so much.  The mineral tone includes an ink sort of character, not uncommon for Wuyi Yancha, but a marker for better versions.  That effect can be interpreted as leaning towards a liqueur or cognac nature.

second infusion:  cinnamon gets even stronger; interesting.  It includes so much earthiness and warmth it's on to folding in some tree-bark range.  I get it that cinnamon is tree bark, but I mean how more common tree bark smells, aged or cured versions of hardwood stored for firewood.  Hickory wood has a nice rich smell; maybe like that.  I grew up in the forests of PA and spent a lot of time cutting firewood but I'm not claiming here that I could actually identify cut wood by smell; that's just a guess.

trees, snow, and wild turkeys at my parents' house

This is so interesting and pleasant that I'd like to add more, but that's it; it tastes like cinnamon, a specific wood tone, and mineral base.

third infusion:  I tried this brewed faster to see how aspects would vary but it's mostly just lighter.  Brighter cinnamon flavor and sweetness stands out more, so a vague hint of citrus seems more intense, but it's still pretty similar.  For me optimum intensity is more medium; that bright character is nice, and aftertaste is still pronounced, but the strong hit of balanced and intense flavor is nicer.

fourth infusion:  warmer tones pick up, probably more from brewing this slightly longer than a natural transition cycle.  It's great the way a simple range of flavors comes across as so complex and intense.  In between the cinnamon and mineral depth, separate from the supporting fruit range, there is flavor range tying it together, along the lines of other spice or tisane.  Then a pronounced aftertaste extends the experience, makes it longer and adds a sensation of depth.  This is really clean in character too; it's hard to describe how the complete absence of flaws and great balance work together.  

The roast level in this is so perfect that it's easy to lose track of that even being an input.  I wonder if it's not aged a couple of years?  That would settle a roast input, leaving behind positive transition while smoothing over rougher edges. [later edit:  it's 4 years old, so sure, that input changed it a little].

fifth infusion:  it's changing slightly, but not enough that it's going to be easy to describe, not in terms of identifying separate flavors.  The spice input seems to shift from straight cinnamon more onto root spice.  A light touch of citrus might be getting heavier, moving from fresh orange peel to dried orange peel.  

It's still quite pleasant; it's not changing in terms of losing intensity, balance, or appeal.  I went with a high proportion, brewing all that Bruce sent me, which has to be around 8 grams.  That's a lot to brew at one time in a 90 to 100 ml gaiwan, even though that is my standard approach.  For someone using a more typical 5 or 6 gram proportion this would probably transition faster, since infusion times would probably be a little longer, unless someone likes their tea wispy light.  It works for that; it was fine in that very lightly brewed round.

Conclusions:

I drank more rounds but it continued on in a similar way.

I'm curious what this is, what it was sold as by them.  The Wuyi Origin lists a separate now sold-out version they describe as "boutique," that had sold for $32 per 25 grams instead of $15, for twice as much.  Material quality and potential can vary quite a bit, from year to year, or location to location, depending on what the plants experience that year.  

From how vendors and producers often market teas it might seem like one main lot of given year and season's tea is produced but really it's not like that.  Teas are harvested and processed in batches, and in cases where a vendor is trying to make a uniform and consistent version from year to year they might mix batches to arrive at a certain effect, a certain balance of aspects.  That would align with yearly named-type branding, how teas are sold.  Tea from a higher level specialty producer is something else; it would be produced and sold as different versions like this.

Which leads back to me not knowing exactly what this is, how it was presented.  It's clearly quite good, but it might be that it was a more standard offering 4 years ago, sold as a more ordinary type.  The balance of oxidation level and roast input seem very favorable, so by ordinary I mean truly exceptional but sold as their more moderate priced range, possibly even selling for less than 50 cents a gram 4 years ago.

Then to me the fruity range style versions can be even more distinctive, because for Rou Gui with cinnamon as the dominant flavor aspect it either balances or it doesn't, either including plenty of other complexity and refinement or not.  But fruity Rou Gui can be completely novel, expressing a set of flavor aspects that you'll only experience in that one version that one time.  Unless it comes up in a similar form again, but it's usually not like that; peach, citrus, floral tones, or whatever else can balance in a unique way.  

Well-balanced and high quality cinnamon-dominant Rou Gui is still very nice, a pleasant experience.  It's a tea quality range that one might never get around to experiencing, depending on the sourcing approach they take.  This may have lost some intensity across the four years; it may not be as good as it was two years ago, per my preference.  For heavier roast levels aging really is a positive input, even across 3 or 4 years, but surely this was moderate in roast level earlier on, not low, but not beyond medium.  All that is just guesses though.  

This is still truly exceptional tea, so I'm splitting hairs here a bit, comparing it to as good as I think Rou Gui character could possibly be.  This is relatively close to that, for this style, perhaps with some limited range for improvement.