I found this version above average, when compared to the other four in the series. Again, very tight, thick compression of small leaves from the core of the cake came in my sample. When dry, an aroma of white raisins and warm earth. The first steeps produced a bright, clear middle golden soup, fresh with complex sweetness, some hickory chips, a pale maltiness, and fresh almond milk. It definitely had a bit of a creamy or milky character that made it silky and complex. Nice, but faint, bittersweetness in the back of the throat rounded the flavor. An enjoyable sample, for sure.
2008 Menghai "Peacock of Nannuo"
Pu-erh Tea by Menghai Tea Factory
Menghai tea factory has released this Peacock series of single-estate tea mountains since 2001. They represent some of Menghai Tea Factory’s most sought after teas and are produced in very limited quantities. Nannuo Mountain Nannuo means “bamboo paste” in the Dai language. During ancient times, Nannuo Mountain was primarily inhabited by ethnic Hani people. When they had too many bamboo shoots to eat, they made the leftovers into a paste. This paste was presented to the village chieftains every year. The mountain was subsequently named Nannuo Mountain. It is located in the eastern portion of Menghai County of Yunnan Province’s Xishuangbanna Prefecture. It has an average elevation of 1400 meters above sea level. The entire mountain is covered in shaded forests of green bamboo and other trees. Ecological conditions are excellent. Nannuo Mountain tea trees are large-leaf arbor-type. Nannuo Mountain is famous in China and abroad as the home of the “King of Tea Tree,” a human cultivated 800+ year old tree. Fine tea tree varieties and superior natural conditions produce outstanding Nannuo Mountain tea products. Nannuo Mountain Peacock tea is a 400g fresh Pu-erh cake. It possesses a green, glossy luster and has leaves and buds that are plump, strong, and tender. The strips of tea unfold with prominent fine hair. When brewed, the tea liquor is a bright golden yellow with a strong, but mellow and refreshing flavor. It has a sharp huigan (feeling in the mouth) and stimulates salivation. The tea has strong and distinctive aroma.
