Shu Puer Haiwan 9988, 2011

This is more than tea — it's a ritual, minutes spent alone with yourself or among close friends. Shu pu-erh Haiwan 9988 seems to slow down time, pulling you into another dimension; there's a reason people speak of 'tea drunkenness' after a few bowls of it.

It goes well on Friday evenings, when you want to unwind and set your worries aside.

The aroma carries notes of oak, cedar, damp leaves, wet earth, charcoal, peanut, hazelnut, condensed milk and caramel.

Pressed into a brick, 2011 harvest.