2015 Pin

Really cool wrapper on this cake! This sheng is on the light and sweet side, with notes of moss, linen, straw, hay, and floral. I found it quite gentle with a thick mouth feel. A nice light bit of dryness and bitterness that many pu newbies would like.

2015 Pin is quite different compared to 2015 2Late or Poundcake as it’s lighter. I got this tea with November 2015 White2tea club, and it says to try this cake again in a few months once the excess water in it goes away. That said, these tasting notes may change.

Full review on Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/november-white2tea-club-2015-pin-tea-review/

The cake is a tightly compressed mass of dark green, with strands of silver, beige, khaki and white interspersed throughout. The dry leaf smells smoky and slightly fruity — pretty typical for a younger sheng.

I broke off 5.85 grams of dry leaf and gave the tea a quick rinse in 90°C water in my medium-sized gaiwan (about 130 mL). After the rinse, the smell of the leaf transformed from slightly smoky and fruity to intensely fermented — it was sour and reminded me of yogurt. I don’t mind this smell, but it was a surprise.

The first steep was very clear and had an amber tint to it like beer. The taste was refreshing: clear, smooth, with no sharpness or astringency. I noticed a slight bitter aftertaste.

The second steep was bitter and some smoke started to creep in. It’s possible I oversteeped this one, though, as I was slow to pour the liquid out of the gaiwan. Because of this, I noticed some astringency along with the bitterness. I took care during the third steep and was rewarded with liquid that was lighter in both colour and flavour – the bitterness hadn’t disappeared, but the fruitiness of the leaf came out to play. Despite the presence of fruit, though, the tea was still relatively herbal in flavour, with a bitter aftertaste.

The flavour stayed pretty consistent from here until the seventh steep. One thing I noticed about this tea is that its bitterness has a quality I feel on the middle and sides of my tongue, rather than the back of it. The mouthfeel and the flavour are both thin — this tea washes over my mouth smoothly, coats my tongue, and recedes quickly, leaving no trace. The colour lightened over time as well, becoming a pale gold rather than the amber it was at the beginning.

C’mon guys, read the full review. It’s got cat photos! http://booksandtea.ca/2015/11/white2tea-november-2015-subscription-box-2015-pin-raw-puerh/

I was excited when I heard all the talk about this cake. Once it arrived I tucked it away in storage for a couple weeks before busting it out for steeping. The cake is an array of loosely compressed maocha with long strands. You can identify the older material blended well with the fresh stuff. The cake is not heavily aromatic, but you can pick up a distinct sweet fragrance with some light herbaceous tones. I broke off a decent chunk and prepared for brewing. After placing the picked amount in my warmed yixing I gave them a shake. The scent deepens to a much sweeter tone. I was picking up nice warm honey, nectar, and possibly some wildflowers. The sensation was so sweet and tangy. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The scent completely changed in the steeped leaves. I was picking up more sharper notes such as; bitter greens, wet wood, and moss. However, I was also picking up a sweet apricot tone in the background. The taste began slightly askew. The brew had a full mouthfeel with soothing qualities, yet it was lacking in flavor. I pushed this aside as a needed “second wash”. The second steeping was much more appeasing. I was picking up that same sweet and tangy tone. The apricot tones were much more prominent and they were followed with a pleasant drying sensation. The qi was quickly felt in the session by originating in the temples and following to the eyes. I was experiencing a nice eye fluttering by the third steeping. The qi is very cooling and an almost airy feeling; its very uplifting. The brew is not that sweet afterwards. I was experiencing bitter qualities shortly into steeping. The kuwei was nice and peppery and helped keep the tongue alert. The light honey tone followed and helped soothe the bitter sensations. The huigan was extremely delayed, but it was well worth the wait. The huigan was a light wild blossom honey flavor, and it was fairly thick. The sweetness was lasting and followed throughout the session. The later steeping sessions include a peppery bitterness, light amber colored liquor, and a nice pleasant sugarcane sweetness. The brew lasted for some time and is very durable with multiple longer steeping. I enjoyed this, and I’m glad that I have so much of it. This is a good daily drinker, but it won’t make it to my top puerhs.

I will take more notes after a few months in storage.

Also, I felt compelled to take a lot of photos. This tea is more photogenic than most things ;)

https://www.instagram.com/p/-RYjfmTGQA/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://www.instagram.com/p/-RjkKEzGU_/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://www.instagram.com/p/-bgk_-zGVa/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel