Easily the most outstanding character of this particular cake is the dry leaf and cupped aroma. It has a strong red currant and fresh cherry tomato scent. Incredibly “red” and vegetable-like. Not in a starchy way, but somewhere between green plant stems and fruit. Much as many garden-fresh tomatoes would smell like if heated just slightly. In the flavor, this translates to a lightly sweet herbal and delicate floral character, with marked pungency. Perhaps the Lan Xiang (orchid aroma) the producers are referring to?
From the forward flavor notes on, this tea is a little flatter. There is detectable astringency towards the finish, but it’s missing a certain bitterness balance and lingering swell. Longer steeps develop a curt, punchy upfront bitterness that’s somewhat unpleasant. Considering this sample employed fantastically large leaves, I may begin to sense that teas with mostly large leaves are able to put off fantastic aromas and front flavors, but lack a certain roundedness in the finish. This tea has endurance for its youth however, as it crosses the ten steep mark without much noticeable loss in depth.
Full blog post: http://tea.theskua.com/?p=323
People who liked this
Comments
Ooh, I’ve got a sample of this lying around – this reminds me I have yet to give it a try.
I think the line of puerhs that YS is producing under its own name is really interesting. Many of them are so-called “wild arbor” (which I think usually means some really old trees that had been sort of forgotten and are now being cultivated) or highly circumscribed areas like the one described here. Either way, you end up with distinctive tastes that can be unpredictable but also very particular and rewarding. Like the difference between single malt scotch and blended whiskey. (Sorry for the vulgar analogy.)
I think the tomato note is right on. (I’m using that!) As for the orchid, my sense is that “orchid” is just a superlative, a kind of plus mark.
Thanks for the note!
michaelh, I think you’re right about the orchid as being a superlative. And I think the analogy between single malt and blended scotches are apt, especially when looking at single mountain cakes like this.
Ooh, I’ve got a sample of this lying around – this reminds me I have yet to give it a try.
I think the line of puerhs that YS is producing under its own name is really interesting. Many of them are so-called “wild arbor” (which I think usually means some really old trees that had been sort of forgotten and are now being cultivated) or highly circumscribed areas like the one described here. Either way, you end up with distinctive tastes that can be unpredictable but also very particular and rewarding. Like the difference between single malt scotch and blended whiskey. (Sorry for the vulgar analogy.)
I think the tomato note is right on. (I’m using that!) As for the orchid, my sense is that “orchid” is just a superlative, a kind of plus mark.
Thanks for the note!
michaelh, I think you’re right about the orchid as being a superlative. And I think the analogy between single malt and blended scotches are apt, especially when looking at single mountain cakes like this.