pu-erh of the day. Sheng or Shou

Having a 2002 ’Hai Lang Hao" Ai Lo Shan mini cake from Yunnan Sourcing.
Breaking this one out from a a swap with a tea-friend.
I got 10 grams of this in the Gaiwan and went to town with it.
The wet leaf gave an almost cinnamon aroma to it. Quite an alluring aroma for a puerh.
I started the steeps at about 3 seconds ,3 times for my big “western” cup.
This tea has a light orange color to it. Since it was stored in Kunming it hasn’t aged as much as a wetter stored one. This is very interesting, smoke is definitely present in this brew. It is a bit strong in the early steeps. I read some reviews on Yunnan Sourcings site and only 1 other person noted this. This tea has nice notes of cinnamon , nutmeg and camphor in its notes. It is a very engaging and active tea in the mouth. It lingers on a while after you finish the cup. The resteeps seem to be going well and the flavor profile has not diminished much at all. I will continue on with this tonight. This is campfire, nutmeg ,cinnamon and camphor fighting for their taste note.
Note to smoky notes, if you don’t like them I would not tell you to try this. If you don’t mind this may be an older sheng to relish as it progresses.

Flavors: Camphor, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Smoke

I’ve been drinking 2011 Yunnan Sourcing “Cha Qi” Raw the last couple of days. Plan on getting some more in tomorrow. This tea is fantastic. It tastes kind of caramel , sweet , & smooth to me. I don’t know but I just love it. On YS website they say it’s a mixture of teas and from the spring and autumn harvests.

Today I was helping a friend nurse a cold with some ripe Puer – a 2007 Dayi Anxiang and the 2001 CNNP Orange Mark Shu. The Anxiang has a lot more in the way of fragrance and feeling, but I also enjoyed the Orange mark’s woody character.

Taking a short tea break with the 2007 Red Label Hong Yin (Wisteria Tea House).

Personally 2006 and 2007 are not my favorite years for puerh tea as a result of overharvest and the general emphasis by producers towards quantity over quality. This was a period of time that greatly exacerbated the bubble within the puerh tea market that would subsequently burst in around mid-2007.

In my opinion the Wisteria Tea House have done well to be able to produce a solid and pleasant tea like this reproduction of the famous 1950s Red Label amidst the chaos and bad business practice that was rampant during that period of time. The brew is well balanced and there is a harmonious union of characteristics when one drinks this tea. The primary notes are of wood, vegetable, a plummy sourness (that reminds me of mid age Yiwu) within a dark and mildly sweet background of age characters.

Best, VP

Having Yunnan Sourcings “Hui Run” ripe tea of Bulang.
Got this from a tea pal a while back and figured I should get to it. I have drank more sheng here lately but time to get the shou on.
I pulled 10 grams of this and put it in the Yixing to brew.I gave 2 5 seconds washes to get it going. It brews a nice dark color from the cup. The brew is very clean without a bunch stuff caught in the strainer. The aroma has that shou scent but not overpowering. It gives hints of caramel, raisins, some chocolate/cocoa and a bit of woodiness. The mouthfeel is very nice and very smooth. Bulang tea makes some really good shou and this fits that category perfectly. No wou dei and a perfect tea for last night and I am on it again this morning. I am really enjoying the “Private Label” that Scott is able to put out to us.

Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate, Raisins, Wood

2008 GuanZiZai “Manzhuan”Xiao Zhuan Raw from Cha Wang Shop
This is a highly aromatic brick and a solid tea for the price ($6 for a 50g 6+ year old brick). This brick is a little dark beauty made from good raw material.
Generally I am rather fond of teas from ManZhuan. The aroma of the dry leaves is pleasingly sweet and offers the characteristic floral scent of Yiwu teas. Began in my usual manner – two quick rinses and then let the wet leaves sit for at least 30m before I prepare the first steeping for tasting. The clear deep gold colored tea soup presents full and thick flavor with a salivation inducing effect. Sweet and buttery hay or grass overtones with a slight stone fruit accent are detected in the early sips. Active on the tongue and throughout the mouth. Produces a nice chaqi. I’m four steepings in and I’ll continue working with the leaves tomorrow.
In summary, this is a smooth tea, not overly aggressive or strong. Deep honey colored tea liquor which yields a thick soup with a smooth, rounded mouthfeel. Nice huigan which leaves a persistent sweetness in the throat. Thick, buttery mouthfeel, with the perfect blend of honey sweetness and bitterness. A comforting and enjoyable puerh brick.

Still drinking my travel tea coin from DC Teas that I got in my last O5Tea order. It sure doesn’t taste like most mini shous I’ve tried. The leaves were large and there was no dust. I got a few more with this most recent batch. Really smooth and mellow, plus it doesn’t quit!

Today I opened the sample of the 2012 Ruiyuan Nannuo from White2tea and am really enjoying it. It smells green and tastes really refreshing while having a good body and nice legs both in the steeping and in the aftertaste. I often feel I don’t have time to sit down and really appreciate the better teas, so having a bit of time today makes a pleasant change, especially when accompanied by a good tea.

I’ve written my notes on it, but I reckon Hobbes has nailed the description here: http://half-dipper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/2012-ruiyuan-laoshucha.html

My wife and I spent our first day back in China at the tea markets visiting with friends and drinking lots of good tea. We had some puerh alleged to have been from the 1940’s. It was really good. It melted in your mouth. It didn’t really have any pronounced flavors or aromas but it had a very nice throat cooling effect and a tea energy that seemed to grow stronger with time.

Having part of the Bulang Laochatou sample from White2Tea I got from the monthly subscription. I really enjoy creamy and/or sweet chatou/laochatou and this one definitely excels in the sweetness department. Syrup/molasses sweetness. Very smooth.

I’ve been hunting for a few good and reasonably priced roasted oolongs and shus (preferably in loose or mini-tuocha form since I’m always dashing out the door in the mornings) to grandpa brew in my tea thermos throughout the day and this might make the cut.