’10 Tiger, CMS

The Tiger consists of Menghai old tree material between 60-150 years and up.  It’s been hand picked, iron wok fired, sun wilted, and stone pressed, in accordance with traditional processing methods.

The Tiger checks all the boxes for a superior raw puerh: viscosity, sweetness, huigan, and astringency.  In terms of flavour, it is exceptional.  Its aroma and taste are quite unlike any other puerh to come across the Puerh Junky’s radar.  This uniqueness is immediately evident in the aroma of the dry leaves and present when wet.  It is somewhere in the neighborhood of black licorice.  This note is lightly evident in the aftertaste, though blending with a melange of possibly sassafras and definitely vanilla.

Yes, the Tiger falls into the Root Beer Class, perhaps more clearly than any other treasure in the Collection.  Amidst the thickness and sweetness is a thread of bitterness of unmistakably classic Menghai/Bulang/Banzhang character.  Then, sounds a surprising note of Jolly Rancher Watermelon candy, but it hides behind the black licorice.  I’m calling it “black licorice” but it is much more subdued and pleasant than that, something like fennel.  I hate black licorice and love this treasure.

At 12 years old, the Tiger yields eight rich infusions before waning into some aggressive bitterness.  It also exhibits a couple cloudy rounds early on.  Both flaws indicate where it is on its transformation journey.  It has been properly stored in Kunming and in Los Angeles since Aug ’20.  15g.

78¢