I've been drinking all the shou this week and last, both at work and at home. (Have a cold that looks like it'll be sticking at the hacking cough stage for quite some time, so I need something nice and thick to drink). This consists of far more sessions than I usually get through in two weeks.
* W2T's Lumber Slut - was impressed that it wasn't bitter at all for a woody tea, and liked it a lot more than I was expecting to. Thick. Plan to revisit my sample when I have more tastebuds.
* What-Cha's 2016 Yong De - first shou I ever had. Also a woodyish type, not bad and has good longevity, but I prefer a bit more sweetness or at least other things going on. I took the cake to work and have been having it in a mug+brewing basket there.
* YS's 2009 Nan Jian 801 tuo - if the water is just-boiled, has some unexpected huigan that makes it a lot better. If it isn't, this is dull and no better than the Yong De. The thickness lasts well.
* Yiwu Mountain Tea's 2016 Yiwu Gushu Ripe - some interesting stuff going on here, maybe some slight floral notes early on.
* Awazon's 2000 Excellent Old Aged Ripe Brick. This has some good early infusions, doesn't keep going as long as one might like. Seemed well-rounded but again I'll need to come back to it for any subtleties.
What Pu'er Are You Drinking
I'm drinking 2002 HK Traditional Storage CNNP 7532 sheng from TeaLife.HK.
It's has a nice baseline flavor which reminds me of some kind of food, but I couldn't figure it out throughout my sessions and I've now ran out of the tea.
The tea has some good body but also some aged taste since it's '02.
It's has a nice baseline flavor which reminds me of some kind of food, but I couldn't figure it out throughout my sessions and I've now ran out of the tea.
The tea has some good body but also some aged taste since it's '02.
I really like that tea! It's very different from 7542 to me and nicely aged. If you figure out what it reminds you of, I'd love to know!Shine Magical wrote: ↑Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:13 amI'm drinking 2002 HK Traditional Storage CNNP 7532 sheng from TeaLife.HK.
It's has a nice baseline flavor which reminds me of some kind of food, but I couldn't figure it out throughout my sessions and I've now ran out of the tea.
The tea has some good body but also some aged taste since it's '02.
Tried the cake above today. Barely any flavor at this point: just bitterness. Smooth and clean though! And the start of aged flavors. This is a cake I need to wait on. Hopefully it'll be more interesting in a year or two! I'm pretty sure it will be, and since this material is Mengku, I'm curious to see what kind of aged flavors will develop.
Hai Lang Hao "Jin Hai Lang" shou puerh, 2006 today, from YS.
For my work setup this week I don't have access to a place to pour waste, so I've been drinking the rinse. This tea unfortunately has a sour note in the first 2-3 steeps that is unpleasant but goes away. What it leaves behind is a beautiful rich creaminess in both texture and taste. Thick and lubricating mouthfeel. Rich earthy mushroom broth taste. Very well-balanced, not too bright, not to dark. I think normally this sour note disappears because I typically give shou 2 rinses or so. Anyways, good energy, not too intense and not too muted.
For my work setup this week I don't have access to a place to pour waste, so I've been drinking the rinse. This tea unfortunately has a sour note in the first 2-3 steeps that is unpleasant but goes away. What it leaves behind is a beautiful rich creaminess in both texture and taste. Thick and lubricating mouthfeel. Rich earthy mushroom broth taste. Very well-balanced, not too bright, not to dark. I think normally this sour note disappears because I typically give shou 2 rinses or so. Anyways, good energy, not too intense and not too muted.
2009 certified organic shou from Changtai, produced under the Chen Tea label (Changtai had a bit of a PR crisis in 2008). Very unique shou with a flavor profile unlike anything I've had before. Lots of almond notes which was a real surprise!
2015 Jiu Wan Impression shu. This brewed nicely and seems to be settling in after a few years. One of the few younger shu that I enjoy drinking regularly. Good tea for a good price. Lots of stems though.
2005 Yi Bang Old Tree brick. Nicely aged brick from Chawangshop. Brewed a bit thin perhaps, but maybe that was the water I used.
2005 Yi Bang Old Tree brick. Nicely aged brick from Chawangshop. Brewed a bit thin perhaps, but maybe that was the water I used.
Repeat session with W2T 2017 She's Not Me this morning. Still tastes super young not surprisingly! Lots of green pepper, heating sensation on the walls of the mouth and throat. Is starting to mellow though, the bite is starting to become pleasant. Alright, back into storage until this time next year!
Took a while to decide where to post this one: drinking some Zi Juan Yunnan Purple Beauty from Norbu, a fall 2010 harvest. This sat in the back of the tea cabinet for a long time. I see a lot of mentions from other suppliers about a Purple Beauty green tea, but I'm following Greg's lead in calling this one a puerh:
https://steepster.com/teas/norbu-tea/18 ... beauty-tea
https://steepster.com/teas/norbu-tea/18 ... beauty-tea
Tonight, I poured just-off-the boil water into a little leaf in a fully glazed pot, and forgot it for a while. Then I remembered, was worried about overconcentration, so diluted it about 3 fold with fresh hot water. And it is lovely, raisins, plums, a hint of astringency but no bitterness. I either diluted it out or it aged out while the tea gently aged in the back of the tea trunk. Very nice. I have more of the tea but may never get that perfect combination of timing and temperature and dilution again because, happy accident!This batch of Zi Juan was processed basically in the same way as Pu-Erh tea and dried in the sun. ... Because it was processed like Pu-Erh, this tea shares a lot of common flavor traits with a young Sheng Pu-Erh tea. .... ike young Pu-Erh, the flavor is a balance between bitterness and astringency, and, because of the higher than usual anthocyanin and catechin levels in these purple leaves, the bitterness tends to be more apparent than with other plantation grown Pu-Erh teas.
Today I brewed the 1995 Keyixing shu brick from EOT. I'm enjoying this one more after storing it broken up in a caddy for months. I also like removing the plentiful stems/twigs before brewing.
I also tried the 1985 Yi Wu Old Arbor Special Selection from Beautiful Taiwan Tea Co. If I tasted this blindly I might guess it a 2000-2006 tea stored in a humid but clean environment (in my far from an expert opinion.) A pleasantly bitter tea, somewhat thick body, without off taste or harshness on the throat, but not remarkable. The energy and body feel were notable though. Brews many times. Leaves primarily whole. Wonder what this is.
I also tried the 1985 Yi Wu Old Arbor Special Selection from Beautiful Taiwan Tea Co. If I tasted this blindly I might guess it a 2000-2006 tea stored in a humid but clean environment (in my far from an expert opinion.) A pleasantly bitter tea, somewhat thick body, without off taste or harshness on the throat, but not remarkable. The energy and body feel were notable though. Brews many times. Leaves primarily whole. Wonder what this is.
Good tea drinking this past weekend:
2002 Nan Jian Te Zhi shu tuo. This tea always gets me with relaxing energy.
2000 Camphor Aroma sheng. An enjoyable tea, especially first few juicy steeps.
1997 CNNP Big Red Mark. Wish I got more of this way back when from CWS
1998 Hong Kong Traditional Liu An. Aged and balanced liu an from TealifeHK. (Not pu er I know.)
2002 Nan Jian Te Zhi shu tuo. This tea always gets me with relaxing energy.
2000 Camphor Aroma sheng. An enjoyable tea, especially first few juicy steeps.
1997 CNNP Big Red Mark. Wish I got more of this way back when from CWS
1998 Hong Kong Traditional Liu An. Aged and balanced liu an from TealifeHK. (Not pu er I know.)
Last edited by Stephen on Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2018 Lao Man'E huangpian and maocha! The huangpian is a little sweeter and the maocha a bit more complex. The huangpian is a bit less bitter as well. Both totally kicked my tail as far as bitterness, but had lovely aroma and flavor. I love how this stuff smells so sweet, but then has that deep characteristic bitterness as well. Drinking both back to back was a bit much. I had to go to oolong tea after to recover. 