Ripe/Cooked Puerh of the Night
- Thread starter joyfulwoogie
- Start date
Not yet. First YS ripe sample as I've just been drinking shu again for the first time in a few years. If you're wondering about my taste preferences, I usually gravitate towards Menghai Dayi shu- the heavier fermented stuff like 7262. I intend on sampling a few others, including Man Tang No. 2, but the other Man Tangs seem like fairly one-dimensional gong ting affairs. I usually don't care for the one note bud heavy shus, but I'll make a note of trying at least one as I haven't even sampled a gong ting blend in years.
B&B is astonishing... Some very deep things going on here!)
Was there ever a doubt?
Now we have to get you to drink some sheng.
Now I'm going to have to drink some sheng! I'm easy
) Any suggestions?
Guess I'll have a look at the Sheng of the Day thread...
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2010 V93 from Dayi. Pretty mediocre tea in general. Doesn't last a very long time, the flavors are bland and one-dimensional.
My first order of Shu arrived a few days ago. I am tempted to post my thoughts, but I'm not sure what "qi, huigan, etc." mean. I think I've got a handle on "wo dui", though.
I think I got some as a free sample in my order... 2012 YS "Man Tang Hong Te Ji" Shu. Haven't tried it yet.
(I also got some free 2012 YS "Lao Cha Tou Brick" for some lucky reason.)
I think I got some as a free sample in my order... 2012 YS "Man Tang Hong Te Ji" Shu. Haven't tried it yet.
(I also got some free 2012 YS "Lao Cha Tou Brick" for some lucky reason.)
I highly recommend using this site http://babelcarp.org/babelcarp/ for any tea terms that are unfamiliar. I still use this site from time to time, and I've been visiting it since probably 07. Excellent source.
I also haven't had a Lao Cha Tou I didn't like. Be forewarned though, that stuff lasts forever. A couple decent sized chunks of cha tou will usually outlast the drinker.
Turned on 3 family members to some 2008 King of Bu Lang Ripe at Thanksgiving dinner and they liked it!
2012 (???) Cuilong mini-ball shu, this is surprisingly good for a mini-tea. Like they took a few fermented leaves, made a fist to press a small ball, and wrapped it up in paper.
2007 701 8592. Hmmm, I think this is the second dud Dayi shu I've had in a row! Either that, or my shu standards have risen (I guess for most people there is only going up.) It's not a bad tea exactly, but it really isn't my kind of ripe tea. Lots of that fresh bread aroma and flavor going on here which I am really not a fan of. Very little in the way of sweetness, almost no bitterness and no astringency to speak of. Liquor is medium bodied, deep black with a subtle shade of amber. Incredibly boring stuff that just kind of tastes the same infusion to infusion. Doesn't last a terribly long time either, but I consider that a good thing here and indeed in most shu except for lao cha tou.
2011 Yunnan Sourcing Hui Run. Had probably my sixth or seventh session with this tea this morning, and it just continues to impress. Woke me up quite well. This tea definitely has some strength left in the leaf. The fermentation was fairly light, leaving full integrity of the leaves. Towards the end of each session you'd almost swear you were drinking some slightly aged sheng. It begins to swell in a little bit of that good throaty bitterness as it marches on, and march on it will. I'll probably get a cake or two more of this to lay down for a long time. Something tells me this shu has the legs to transform into something special.
Completely stressed out from today's news so I took out some XZH XiShangJiaXI shu. Early brews are a touch sour, no longer bitter. Flavor is similar to TanMei 7581 + coffee flavor. Aroma strength is rather poor, especially compared to 7581 or Secret Fragrance. Qi is relatively strong, more than the SF. Body is good, a little less than the TanMei. It goes down the throat, makes you feel it, leaves lasting flavors in the throat and mouth. Energy is also very strong and active in the mouth. Reasonably dynamic session. Not much actual sweetness, some quick as a blink flavor transitions to fruit. The liqueur, as I've noted before, is gorgeous, unusually so for a shu. Session did its job, while I played some of my favorite sad Cassandra Wilson songs.
07 White Dragon Lao Cha Tou loose from YS. I've tried a handful of Scott's LCT productions from this factory, and they're all fairly similar. The lack of sweetness in all of them disappoints me, but that's personal preference. They're all clean, and this one is possibly about to change or something. Seems as if it's a tea in transition. On the borderline of adding another dimension to spice things up, but as it stands right now it's pretty bland. As are the rest of them. A shame, but at least they're priced right. If you want a good consistent lao cha tou tea I'm afraid the only option out there now is Dayi. Haiwan's was better in 07, but I haven't seen another release from them and the price of their 07 has gone into the stratosphere for this kind of tea. I guess I'll just stock up on those 2010 Dayi LCT bricks, because at that price only their 7262 rivals them as far as heavier fermented shu goes.
2009 Xinghai "Dragon" mini-cake.
Smooth loam-y red brew. Leaf size seems quite small - keep in mind this is a 100g cake when looking at the picture below. First cup has a nice thick mouthfeel but a fairly simple flavour. Earthy and moist rotten log. Perhaps there is more here but it has been a while since I drank shu.
I must have left too much water on the leaves since my second pouring of water was instantly black. This cup has a lot more energy, but also some more distinct bitterness and tannin-feel, probably due to over-brewing while I was drinking the first cup. Despite this, the second cup disappeared faster than the first.
Third cup brewed more normally, steeping around 30 seconds. Flavours have opened up more, although mouthfeel is (not surprisingly) thinner. There is a lot more leaf in the taste and a lot less rotten log. This is the first cup where I can taste it and think "somewhere under here there was a sheng".
An interesting insight for me. I'll continue brewing and see how it develops further.
Pic is from Yunnan Sourcing.
Smooth loam-y red brew. Leaf size seems quite small - keep in mind this is a 100g cake when looking at the picture below. First cup has a nice thick mouthfeel but a fairly simple flavour. Earthy and moist rotten log. Perhaps there is more here but it has been a while since I drank shu.
I must have left too much water on the leaves since my second pouring of water was instantly black. This cup has a lot more energy, but also some more distinct bitterness and tannin-feel, probably due to over-brewing while I was drinking the first cup. Despite this, the second cup disappeared faster than the first.
Third cup brewed more normally, steeping around 30 seconds. Flavours have opened up more, although mouthfeel is (not surprisingly) thinner. There is a lot more leaf in the taste and a lot less rotten log. This is the first cup where I can taste it and think "somewhere under here there was a sheng".
An interesting insight for me. I'll continue brewing and see how it develops further.
Pic is from Yunnan Sourcing.
Mandala Phatty Cake. I like this very much, but I am a puerh neophyte.
It's all Ouch's fault...
It's all Ouch's fault...
2004 Gold Bud Pu'er.
Purchased in 2004 or 2005. Broken into sancha one year ago.
Probably CNNP, but purportedly Menghai.
Stored at 70RH controlled atmosphere until last year--stored very dry since then.
In taste, exactly equivalent to Phoenix Collection's Puerh Cha Wang.
Rich, sweet, and creamy. Wonderful chocolate notes. Very clean--nothing off-putting.
The beeng cha arrived, I recall, barely able to hold its shape, almost like it was improperly compressed. Evidently, it was a felicitous accident.
Back then we had to wire the money to the Yunnan CNNP outlet. It was pricey and a hassle!
Best to all, ~grasshopper
Purchased in 2004 or 2005. Broken into sancha one year ago.
Probably CNNP, but purportedly Menghai.
Stored at 70RH controlled atmosphere until last year--stored very dry since then.
In taste, exactly equivalent to Phoenix Collection's Puerh Cha Wang.
Rich, sweet, and creamy. Wonderful chocolate notes. Very clean--nothing off-putting.
The beeng cha arrived, I recall, barely able to hold its shape, almost like it was improperly compressed. Evidently, it was a felicitous accident.
Back then we had to wire the money to the Yunnan CNNP outlet. It was pricey and a hassle!
Best to all, ~grasshopper
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Drinking some shu from a friend in Taiwan. I have no idea what it is, but it has a hint of jujube flavor, a touch of sweetness and no bitterness, sourness or wo dui funk. I like it! I'd rate it as the second best shu I've ever had. The first was at a fancy restaurant here and it was so aromatic and sweet that it knocked my socks off. The flavor lasted through five solid infusions in a big 500ml porcelain pot.
Just had a sample of a 93 shu from a dealer in Guangzhou. Really excellent stuff! I can't read Chinese, so I haven't deciphered the label yet, but it is slightly bitter with date flavor and again, no wo dui or wet storage taste. I'm definitely buying a cake or two!
'93 Xing Xiang Shu Sancha from TeaSpring in Guangzhou
Molasses, raisin, cough syrup, and (oddly) Darjeeling flavors.
Really exceptional beverage today.
Stored in porcelain cannister since purchase 7-8 years ago.
7g in 125 ml gaiwan; after two washes, flash infusions (thus far).
Molasses, raisin, cough syrup, and (oddly) Darjeeling flavors.
Really exceptional beverage today.
Stored in porcelain cannister since purchase 7-8 years ago.
7g in 125 ml gaiwan; after two washes, flash infusions (thus far).
A change from the Grasshopper's refined brewing.
A good lump of 2004 golden melon with BBQ overtones was stewed in a thermos over several hours. Some powdered milk, salt and butter was added, the thermos shaken violently...Po cha! It's still summer here in Oz, and I'm having this brew nearly every night. I'll be swilling it by winter.
What's Tibetan for "Stop me"?
A good lump of 2004 golden melon with BBQ overtones was stewed in a thermos over several hours. Some powdered milk, salt and butter was added, the thermos shaken violently...Po cha! It's still summer here in Oz, and I'm having this brew nearly every night. I'll be swilling it by winter.
What's Tibetan for "Stop me"?
