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2006 A-Gu Zhai Wild Arbor Pu-erh tea * Bu Lang Shan from Yunnan Sourcing

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78/100

2006 A-Gu Zhai Wild Arbor Pu-erh tea * Bu Lang Shan

Pu-erh Tea by Yunnan Sourcing

A-Gu Zhai is a small village in a remote area of the Bu Lang Mountain Chain in the county of Menghai. Wild Arbor trees between 200-400 years old are numerous. While A-Gu Zhai is not as well-known as Lao Ban Zhang the tea from this area is nevertheless full of strong cha qi with bitterness but less than Lao Man E and LBZ. The tea is tenaciously infusable and brews evenly across 12-15 infusions. 3 years storage in Jinghong has brought this tea into a pleasant tasting tea full of “yun wei” but not lacking in intensity! A small production of just 300 kilos was produced by an individual tea seller.
Date: Spring 2006

2 Tasting Notes

teaddict
87
teaddict 2 tasting notes

I ordered a sample of this tea with my first order from Yunnan sourcing. It is quite interesting. There is a lot of body and depth to this one, some bitterness that can be impressive with overlong steeps, but I brew it short, relatively dilute, and get a very nice cup of tea, with marvelous sweetness as I slurp/inhale, balanced by a depth of the later flavors.

About 1 gram per ounce/30mL of near-boiling water, flash rinsed, then 10 second infusions gradually increasing to a minute or more; this is a tea that can give lots of steeps.

Addendum: I have lost count of steeps, but now am certainly past 12, and it is still lovely.
Addendum 2: I finally got to the bottom of it, somewhere around 20 steeps. YUM.

Another excellent session with this tea: it sat in the small sample bag in the bottom of the tea drawer, and I just happened to pick it up this morning. I wasn’t anticipating a tea log note so didn’t weigh it out, but the small porcelain gaiwan is 1/3 to 1/2 full with the leaves long since fully hydrated. I’m at least 12 and likely 15 steeps into it, and this is so lovely, reminding me a lot of the 2009 Lao ban zhang that is my current touchstone for young sheng. It does take a little care, even 8 or 10 steeps out, because I forgot a steep for at least 5 and maybe a few more minutes a few back, and it was…..unpleasantly bitter. But back to shorter (now 30-60 seconds), and it’s light, delicious, with that anise/herbaceous touch that I love. Mmmmm.

Just ponied up to buy a whole beeng.

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