2004 Big Leaf Yi Wu Gushu

This tea just looks tasty. I opened up this packet and reveled long slender luscious chunks. These large leaf beauties give off a strong old stained wood scent. I picked a generous amount off from this tightly compressed brick, and I popped it in my warmed yixing. My little teapot filled my tea room with a hearty earth vegetable and forest floor scent. I washed this tea for slightly longer to allow it to awaken. I used scorching hot spring water to awaken this long docile brew. The steeped leaves give off a camphor scent mixed with aged cask rum. The liquor was a deep muddied orange and thick. There was a hint of bitterness in the initial sip. I enjoyed deep delicious menthol and wood tones. The flavor resembled what I imagine an eucalyptus tree would taste like. This soothing flavor followed up with a Novocaine sensation. The sip then ended with an all encompassing huigan that lingered well after drinking. My entire being was well pleased. Then, the qi began to set in. This was by far one of the most powerful brews. I was hit with a force alike a truck. My whole body became filled with such energy, yet I was unable to move. I was all giggly and my head became buzzed. I could feel my muscles soothe and unwind. I was finished by the second steeping. I actually had to step away (crawl more likely) from my tea table and search for food. I returned after an hour and continued my ceremony. The sweet aged sip brought me right back to buzzing. This brew is incredibly juicy and replenishing. The tea stood up for a great many steeping. I am so grateful to have tried this, and I’m glad I have more to share with people. I highly recommend this brew, for an intense and enjoyable gongfu session.

https://instagram.com/p/4rhiFZTGe5/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

I will have to try this tea another time to see if I was just too tired to enjoy it, but I didn’t like this tea much. I thought it decent but that’s about it. It was sweet tasting and the broth was a nice color for a raw tea but the taste was just a little off to me, not meaning off from poor storage, meaning I just didn’t like the taste.

I brewed this twice in an 200ml Yixing teapot with 200 degree water and 8g leaf. I brewed it for 10 sec, and 5 sec.

This is a really gorgeous autumn tea, that is indeed pretty big and leafy! I was pretty surprised that I had a couple leaves there were as long as my palm!

The colour steeps up a vibrant clear orange, with lots of forest floor, earth, moss and amber notes. Mid and later steepings the flavor has camphor notes, which seem to hold on for a long time. A very refreshing tea that is also relaxing – not a party time pu’er.

The big thing to note with this tea is the price is really nice for something that has a decade on it. I quite enjoyed this one and would probably snag another oz or two when I order again.

Full review (and lots of photos) on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/2004-big-leaf-yiwu-gushu-raw-puer/

I have been enjoying this one for two days in a row now. It has lovely sweetness to it, floral notes yet earthy. Very mild and pleasant pu’erh, I don’t even wash this one. It offers a nice mouth-feel too.

Broke out 10 grams of this to try tonight. I did 2 rinses as this is an aged sheng and brewed with the Gaiwan. It brews a mix of oolong and tie guan yin mix for the color. This gives a light floral mossy taste. If you have had the aroma of a green moss this flavor profile kind of follows this. It has light ‘earthy’ notes that turn to a sweetness in the mouth. to be a sheng this one has no astringency or bite to at at all. It is earthy, mossy and sweet without being cloyingly sweet. It is lightly floral in scent but the flavor hits harder than the scent. Soft and sweet a nice way to wind down for the day.