Had a 2007 Xiaguan “Horse Road” tribute toucha. It has gotten a little darker than some of the others I have this age. It starts off with a light golden brew. It has a faint vegetal aroma. It give a good mouth feel with a slight bitter edge in there. A touch of smoke up front that disappears giving an effect you can feel way down. It is not an overpowering brew but a rather nice light one. I brewed this in advance of the arctic front heading our way as I will have this after work tonight to warm up with.
Today is a 2012 Xin Ban Zhang. The wet leaves yield a slight smokey aroma, which brew a somewhat cloudy amber soup. This tea is still very young. It has a pleasant bitterness, as well as a thick body, which transforms into a slight sweetness, typical of the region. I will put this tea aside for aging as, in my opinion, it is still a little too young to drink.
I was at a bit of a loss for tea this afternoon. Nothing really appealed, which pretty much described my mood up to the point I began drinking a 2013 Yunnan Sourcing “Year of the Snake Red Label” Ripe Puerh sample that I plucked at random from the cupboard. It is friendly like a comfort blanket, both warming and cooling at the same time and has made me feel much better. The warming and cooling thing is interesting. My fingertips and cheeks are cool, but my core body feels warmer. I’ve written a tasting note for this one and now that I write here, I think that it may not be quite adequate to describe it. Ah well, I can go back to edit it or I can get on with my work in a more positive frame of mind, so I shall do the latter. Also, at just $15 a beeng this one is going on the shopping list.
I have been lusting after that “Year of the Snake Red Label” shu for a while now! I’m glad it is enjoyable! :)
Yes, the wrapper looks cool, the tea tastes and feels good, and the price is pretty good. What’s not to like? :)
Sounds nice, specially now. I love ripe but specially when it gets colder. I feel like it has a warmer and filling character for the season.
Yes, this one is warming and was perfect for a grey and blustery day.
Put this on the shopping list.
Lately, I’ve been indulging in 2000 CNNP Lincang Ripe from Yunnan Sourcing. It is one of my favorite ripe cakes. It offers the thickness and creamy sensation you would expect of a ripe but with the bonus of added complexity due to light fermentation. It feels like a very layered steep all around with the last steeps juicier than most ripes. Feels like someone balanced Sheng and Shou elements.
I agree, that is some special material!
Sounds superb. I shall have to get some of this too, even though I tend to drink sheng rather than shou.
Based upon your notes from last year I added a sample to my latest YS order and am very much looking forward to trying it. Just bumped it to the top of my steeping list for tomorrow.
Having a Menghai 2008 “Spingtime Water” sheng today. Got this as a sample and was thoroughly impressed. This is a very smooth sheng no harshness or bitterness. It does have the usual touch of camphor as many Dayi cakes do but it is not overpowering. It has good body and it turns very quickly to the honey taste of many fine shengs. This is a “hidden” gem from the Dayi Factory.
You know, I am going to have to stop reading this thread. All these notes about good tea could cost me a fortune! :)
Excellent! Just added a sample to my list for the next YS-US order.
Roughage – Then there’s the issue of how to sneak these into the house and hide them :b
The sneaking is always a problem, but I am becoming expert at that. :)
Intercept the mail carrier. That’s how I normally keep from getting busted! And all these notes have cost me a fortune! LOL!
Yes, intercepting the postman or courier is definitely the way to go. It helps that I work from home most days, and that my wife does not! Also, having a home office that is stacked with boxes full of my stuff helps too. One more box tends not to get noticed. :D
Weird … you’re telling my story! I also work from home, my wife does not, and it’s easy to hide boxes in my cluttered home office. All of which, I’m convinced, are secrets to a happy marriage :)
I’ve just finished up the 2013 Yunnan Sourcing “Year of the Snake Red Label” Ripe Puerh this morning. It really ran out of steam after about eight or nine steeps but I pushed it to ten, getting sweet brown water rather than the rich tea experience of the first half dozen steeps. I’m in the mood for more pu today so I shall have to raid the samples box again later.
Lately I’ve been drinking shu almost every day, mainly because (in addition to being nicely warming) I’ve found it to be the type of tea that’s gentlest on my stomach first thing in the morning. Today was yong de 2011 organic ripe from yunnan sourcing, despite all my puerhs going somewhat dormant for the winter this is still a really good one, super thick and smooth, and it’s now starting to develop a light burnt-sugar note too in the aroma. I’m getting down to about 1/3 of the cake left though.
Shu is good for you! :) What do you mean by dormant? Are they less tasteful in winter? Hibernating?
pretty much, the cold dry weather definitely caused all my puerh to go into hibernation, most dramatically with the shengs, but the shus somewhat too, do you not notice any seasonal changes in yours?
Not really, but winter is quite mild in Belgium.
Having a Jigmai “Tea of Millennial Old Tree”. This one has promise on it. Not bitter or astringent almost a saltiness to the brew with a hit of honey and lemon. I have been 9 steeps now and it has faded some. It brews golden light orange in color. I used 15 grams in the Gaiwan and steeped away. The first infusions were pretty strong with the good throat feeling. You could feel this a minute or so after drinking. The later steeps give a touch of soap maybe? Hard to tell for sure. A good sheng for $20.00.
Sounds good, Millennial. On the other hand, soapy? Not so pleasant, I assume?
Not in a bad way, I think I had just got all the leaves would give.
“A good sheng for $20.00.”
Apparently, not any more – http://m.aliexpress.com/price/price-millennial.html
Wow, it went up quite a bit, eh!?
And in only one week! Do you think the suppliers monitor this thread and raise prices according to the number of positive comments?
It wouldn’t surprise me one bit lol
Great Discussion!
I shared a Shu Puerh blend with Lance earlier today(friday) :)
It is called Autumn Foxtrot from Whispering Pines A 2007 Puerh blended with Elderberries, Safflower and rooibos. It was tasty, Earthy and Sweet and the Safflower gave it an interesting flavor that I can’t quite describe but it was very nice, very clean tasting.
http://whisperingpinestea.com/autumnfoxtrot.html
Nice name, Autumn foxtrot. The blender, definitely, was in a crazy, dancing mood. Lucky enough, he was out of vanilla :-)
“I am glad I was not born before tea.” ― Sydney Smith
Having a shu Impérial 2006 for breakfast, a thick, brown, muddy brew, as strong as Hercules.
That sounds impressive and a good substitute for the morning Java.
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