What Pu'er Are You Drinking
Today I pulled my 2005 Menghai "early spring" tuo out of the Sheng tub, and prepared the giant 2 L thermos full of it to bring to the office to share.
I think I put in a bit more leaf than I really needed to because it was getting a fair bit bitter towards the end of the afternoon, but it remains a quite lovely tea with a depth of earth and a bit of sweetness that tempers the gentle bitterness. I warned some of those who are used to my gentler Teas and one person declined it but pretty much everyone else enjoyed it. And even the spent leaves had a fan, because I found my cat industriously chowing down on them from the sink drain before I had finished with my dinner prep and removed things from the drain to the compost bin. And just now he was investigating the sink again, and then slunk back towards the kitty grass on the windowsill, looking a bit disappointed. I think he likes a bit of bitterness and caffeine with his roughage!
(and yes, I know caffeinated things are not appropriate for cats but when I'm trying to do several things at once, sometimes HUMBOLDT beats me to the punch and goes for it.)
I think I put in a bit more leaf than I really needed to because it was getting a fair bit bitter towards the end of the afternoon, but it remains a quite lovely tea with a depth of earth and a bit of sweetness that tempers the gentle bitterness. I warned some of those who are used to my gentler Teas and one person declined it but pretty much everyone else enjoyed it. And even the spent leaves had a fan, because I found my cat industriously chowing down on them from the sink drain before I had finished with my dinner prep and removed things from the drain to the compost bin. And just now he was investigating the sink again, and then slunk back towards the kitty grass on the windowsill, looking a bit disappointed. I think he likes a bit of bitterness and caffeine with his roughage!
(and yes, I know caffeinated things are not appropriate for cats but when I'm trying to do several things at once, sometimes HUMBOLDT beats me to the punch and goes for it.)
@debunix: you're a lot braver than I am, letting cats anywhere near your teaware...
I'm drinking one of the teas that I got in Taiwan on my recent trip - a no-wrapper, no-label cake, allegedly from the 80s (but who really knows), and which is said to have come to Taiwan from Hong Kong just before 1997 - so, yes, no doubt some healthy wet storage followed by natural humid storage, of the kind that I like. Only a few hairs, strings, seeds and sticks when I broke it up - quite tame.
Nice deep flavour, nice calm feeling, and it lasts well - it's now quite firmly in the 'aged' category, with no hints of any young puer roughness or rawness, but still feeling vibrant and fresh (although definitely on the more humidly-stored side of things).
It was fun trying this tea in the store with the owner, mostly communicating through translation programs on our phones. I think she and I were both a little bit suspicious of one another at the start - with me seeing mostly generic 2000s cakes and assuming there wouldn't be anything to my liking, and with her probably wondering whether I was really going to buy and enjoy any older tea - but we ended up spending a few hours trying various teas from the 90s, 80s and even 70s. I'll make sure to go back on my next visit (I kind of have to go back - she has no website, no email, and only takes cash...).
Andrew
I'm drinking one of the teas that I got in Taiwan on my recent trip - a no-wrapper, no-label cake, allegedly from the 80s (but who really knows), and which is said to have come to Taiwan from Hong Kong just before 1997 - so, yes, no doubt some healthy wet storage followed by natural humid storage, of the kind that I like. Only a few hairs, strings, seeds and sticks when I broke it up - quite tame.
Nice deep flavour, nice calm feeling, and it lasts well - it's now quite firmly in the 'aged' category, with no hints of any young puer roughness or rawness, but still feeling vibrant and fresh (although definitely on the more humidly-stored side of things).
It was fun trying this tea in the store with the owner, mostly communicating through translation programs on our phones. I think she and I were both a little bit suspicious of one another at the start - with me seeing mostly generic 2000s cakes and assuming there wouldn't be anything to my liking, and with her probably wondering whether I was really going to buy and enjoy any older tea - but we ended up spending a few hours trying various teas from the 90s, 80s and even 70s. I'll make sure to go back on my next visit (I kind of have to go back - she has no website, no email, and only takes cash...).
Andrew
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After a very long health induced absence *undiagnosed adult onset tye 1 diabetes) from tea, I am back. Tentatively re-introducing caffeine into my weekly rotation.
Have been enjoying a lot of sheng srouced from Puerh Junky. Happy to say all examples have survived my hiatus and rather informal storage. Here are a few recent ones enjoyed. I have included PJ's wonderful names in the description - they often perfectly capture the character and feeling of the tea -in a humerous non pretentious manner:
2005 LM Factory Ba Jiao Ting Peacock Country"Morning Light". Initially fruit forward with orange blossom, peach, and florals, developing sweet hay and saddle leather (I speak with authority, having horses and saddles) notes. Underlying hints of vanilla and parchment. Fruit sweetness is matched by refined astringency. Fabelous.
Have been enjoying a lot of sheng srouced from Puerh Junky. Happy to say all examples have survived my hiatus and rather informal storage. Here are a few recent ones enjoyed. I have included PJ's wonderful names in the description - they often perfectly capture the character and feeling of the tea -in a humerous non pretentious manner:
2005 LM Factory Ba Jiao Ting Peacock Country"Morning Light". Initially fruit forward with orange blossom, peach, and florals, developing sweet hay and saddle leather (I speak with authority, having horses and saddles) notes. Underlying hints of vanilla and parchment. Fruit sweetness is matched by refined astringency. Fabelous.