Winter Tasting 2024

Posted on by Yang-chu
18 Jan

Winter Tasting 2024 finds “Peej”, as he’s known on the streets, back to the arduous task of sampling.  His focus goes back to Xinghai factory, in the dispassionate manner of any hoarder.  He recently acquired an edition of the ’06 Bulang GS without the “special” stamp.  I guess this would make it the 3rd or late 2nd batch.  It you drink it like most teas, it’s hideous; if drunk like cognac or ouzo, then at least you’re prepared.

Bulang Old Tree (no stamp)

There’s that hella fennel, star anise, bitter grasses, like golden rod. . . white oak.  I’m using my slow pour floral zisha, 150ml at 6.7g, which I feel is far too much really, but I’m giving this intensity a go.  It’s deathly astringent and drying, but less so in the throat.  I think the easiest thing to call it would be black tea, dianhong, but this species of star anise is particular to Mt Bulang in Banzhang.  It’s a recuring theme in many Xinghai productions and is evident in the LME Quincy, and the Tiger, CMS.

The Bulang Old Tree “Special” ostensibly is the second batch, as the neifei bears no timestamp.  Presumably, there is a Bulang GS “Select”, identical but for the designating stamp on the wrapper as well as the date stamp on the neifei.  The Special strikes me as having notes similar to the MKRS Daxueshan, a Lincang production.  Such are the hazzards of getting too hung up on terroir.  Daxueshan, nonetheless is on the “black tea” side of Lincang in contrast to Bingdao, which tends toward round and fruity, white grapey, pear.   Daxueshan area has a taste like Fengqing, in Simao, home to the largest and most famous producer of dianhong in all Yunnan.  There’s two cakes of this no-stamp version and price is quite modest, under $70usd.

Dianhong also goes by the name Yunnan Gold, or just black tea from Yunnan.  Oxidized productions are a specialty in itself.  The area of Fengqing is thought to be ideal for making black tea.  The puerh from this area tastes the same, with a distinctive rose nose and taste.  The 6FTM Lunar New Year Series possesses at least 30% Fengqing material.

BZ Wild King

The nose on the ’06 BZ Wild King evokes a sense of a spicy Smurfberry Crunch, lots of vanilla and blueberry, some nutmeg.  It hearkens to an era in the 80s, when Post cereals still existed.  While that opens up, should mention the run in I had with the ’07 Imperial Tuo, 250g raw.  It may get posted soon for a short spell.  It’s a very recent acquisition and has now entered a tasting rotation of sorts.  It has a personality akin to the Tiger Tuo.  A citrus pine vibe presents in the nose and liquor, some characteristic Xinghai apple and moderate sweetness with big astringency. Quite similar to the Green Peacock come to think of it.  The Green Peacock is a dreadfully good buy, more oiling, and one of the most well-received of ’23.

Goodness!  The ’07 BZ Wild King is nice in this ceramic shot glass.  It was just as good in the porcelain cup.  Smoke and wood, sweet then red-fleshed plum, super-intense Juicy Fruit factor on back end.  As usual, possesses that bracing astringency characteristic of Xinghai factory particularly before ’07.  There’s that distinctive medicinal note also found in the Bulang Old Tree.  BZWK has a top end note of swiss chard with vanilla, but turning more fully vanilla with spices like ginger and clove.  It’s on par with ’07 Mincemeat in terms of spiciness.  The sweetness is greater than usual for XH, but that’s definitely balanced out by the bold astringency, which is instant and reaching into the throat.  It may be testament to the “wild” in the title.

Stylin

The smoke evident in the first two infusions forms more of an accent than theme in the overall construction of the batch.  Smoke is much more evident in Stylin, from the same year.  Stylin’s leaves seem to be fairly small and expectations are that it will be intense.  The 6.7g used in the second case of BZWK proved more appropriate than for the Bulang Old Tree (special).  The nose is floral and fruity, sweet and the rinse is sudsy.  A definite aroma of honeysuckle and backdrop of smoke in the pitcher.  The smoke hits first followed by creamy and ferment-y butterscotch and then smoky, fruity, mineral-y.  Very nice sweetness.

The brew is lightest and longest-stored of the three sampled.  Intense smoked dryer sheet essence. Definitely more bitter than the BZWK.  The incense/dryer sheet essence fades to Juicy Fruit.  Stylin is first batch with a timestamp on the neifei.  A florid aroma coats the pitcher, there’s that “pissiness” of certain flowers, like magnolias.  The pissiness is disguised by the smoked wood in the broth.  It may be a puerh, but it’s tequila-identified. Puerh Junky knows next to nothing about tequila, but there is one type that is sweet and palatable like amaretto.  They call it “anejo.”

The third infusion appears slightly more coppery with some lasting suds befitting its dish-soap fragrance.  The really perfume-y puerhs are disgusting.  The flowers here are sultry and oppressive.  It’s pure perfume and the smoke is fighting a losing battle.  A bit of wintergreen and bitter grasses.  Astringent.  Cloying, like a woman seeking attention by wearing very loud perfume.  Although the perfume is evident in the nose, the taste is of ginseng, unapologetically bitter, spinach minerals, and a bittersweetness of Sweet-n-Low.  Feels now more like the cheap tequila that you’re just drinking for the hangover the next day.  Feels like it’s at least five years off for the lightweight Junky.

I just made that five-years bit up to make myself sound like a knowledgeable soothsayer.  Stylin‘, despite its cunning that sounds lower on the register, still possesses a rambunctiousness that belies youth.  Right now, it’s quite dreadful.  The smoke and perfume are hideous and punishing, then the bitterness.  Experienced drinkers may enjoy this or prefer to sit this one out till it gets a few more years under its belt.  It might end up being for the ages if you can store on your own for a couple years.

Instagram shots here.

Did Puerh Junky Mention II

Posted on by Yang-chu
08 Dec

Did Puerh Junky Mention II continues its look into the past.  Last time we visited some of the stellar productions.  What distinguished them is the excellent storage.  The subsequent discussion continues by bringing to the readers attention productions that worthy of note.  Let’s start out with the cream note, shall we?

The ’04 Uncle Creme Florale and the ’07 Mengsong are both solid cream-drinking experiences.  Sweet and dynamic with pleasant camphor notes.  These two are great everyday drinkers or newbies who’d like a completely different quality of puerh experience that is free from the heavy muted notes of more humid-stored productions, while still enjoying the benefits of serious age.

Ripes have heretofore gone rather neglected.  The ’11 Peacock Gold, Fuhai is in a good place.  Excellent everyday drinker for those enjoying a balance between viscosity, sweetness, bitter and camphor.  Storage is succulent and composition fully expressed under current conditions and age.

Discerning ripe drinkers have almost universally glowed over ’12 Operation Macau.  Most commissioned productions are far from ordinary and Operation Macau is no exception.  If you’re interested in trying a next-level ripe that favours the palate of discerning Macanese standards, rich, sweet, humid, then this sets a standard against which all others can be judged.  The geosmin note excels.  This is one that people load on.

Those ripe-inclined interested in a bit of history should take note of the ferocious ’02 Purple Mark, 6FTM.  This is the only 6FTM ripe production offered.  It took over two years to resuscitate a production held in deep storage and fairly recently released.  Dark chocolate that seeps through the pores.  Perfect after dinner treat.  Can be brewed heavy handed but forget about thermosing!

The cries of the humid crowd have not gone unheeded.  There’s an entire “Humid Old” category set up for it.  Noticeably absent from the list is the Revolutionary Suspect.  Rested here in LA, CA since ’15, the production is alive with the notes of pine.  Though I recommend the full set among the Humid Old , particular attention should be directed toward the Simao Orange, which hasn’t been listed yet but for which there are a few available.  Acquired in Jan of ’23, it took only a few months for this production to blossom and a handful of others were acquired this (Nov ’23) and are still waiting their turn.  Explosive camphor along a backdrop of heavy humidity.  Compression is stellar and Guangdong storage albeit true to form didn’t rot the underlying material.  Those who like the fast-forward qualities of heavy storage should find this a true pleasure.

Amidst the humid and smoky into just smoky two bear mentioning.  First is ’07 Poison, 6FTM which is humid and smoky, and the ’06 Bulang Wild Big Tree, Fuhai.  Given the colder temps, these two will it the winter spot.  Camphor is prominent in both but through very different characters.  Poison would be characterized as “menthol”, while Bulang Wild would be cast as having a more medicinal quality.  Poison is more bitter, woody and in-your-face with complexity, while the Bulang Wild surprisingly is less bitter and low toned, green.  The latter was characterized by one drinker as being like scotch, which I wouldn’t know.  Sweetness with both is high.

 

 

Did Puerh Junky Mention?

Posted on by Yang-chu
06 Dec

“Did Puerh Junky Mention?” is a bit of a retrospective.  The last puerh order for the year has been placed.  All the Nov acquisitions have been nestled along with the rest of the mounting stash.  None of the orphans are feeling lonely, and some of the “long with” items are excelling.  Let’s start with the excelling, shall we?  There are three offerings that come to mind.

’08 Buddha Impressions is a Jinggu, Simao offering from a local factory.  The pressing is moderate to light.  They didn’t fall sway to modernism or herdism, which seems fairly typical of the Jinggu offerings tracked down.  They have an iconic brick offering and it seems that at one time were part of “the monopoly.”  Anyway, storage conditions here in LA, CA, USA have be very good for it.  The past three years have not been very warm and its cooking has not in anyway been stressed.  At the same time, the zing in the material has increased greatly and the underlying quality shines greatly.  The factory offerings are increasingly difficult to come by and that’s presumably due to pre-orders or connections with exclusive distributors.  It’s worth a sample for those seeking good value from established terroir-specific factories.

’03 Yiwu Princess has always been a fav of Puerh Junky, but its vaulted to another level in the past year due to ideal storage conditions.  Originally of a humid nature, the extremely moderate conditions of LA, CA, USA have allowed all the intrinsic qualities of the the Princess to take the next step.  Most interesting is its evolution from old to young.  It previously had a taste of old chrysanthemum and has subsequently blossomed into a young floral taste along its aged backdrop.  The storage transformation for it has been stellar, exhibiting a lively mouthfeel and depth of high-grade material and superb processing.

The Puerh Junky has a vague recollection of writing upon the ’08 Dali Tuo.  In most of its stages its been pleasant, though there was one juncture where faith was close to loss.  Now, it could be said that its at the stage where one favouring wicker and berry should not hesitate.  Compression is tight.  Complexity is engaging.  Exquisite.  Instagram shots.

Finally, there is James Brown.  It’s an ’02 sinewy offering with funk and depth.  Those keen on wicker and extraordinary value.  The name indicates a funk factor akin to some cheeses.  It’s NOT mouldy or dank.  Rather, some type of cultivation has occurred that is unique to say the least.  Duration is long.  Woody, funky, spice, and deep– potent aroma.  The unexperienced will ask, “Is it really tea?”

 

Wuliang Longevity Ripe

Posted on by Yang-chu
26 Nov

The Wuliang Longevity Ripe came to settle in the Puerh Junky Lair (PJL) in March of ’23.  That makes it a newcomer to the community of LPTAWA, otherwise known as Languishing Puerh Tea Associates With Ambitions.  Dear Reader, don’t fret.  It has plenty of company.

The WLR doesn’t have a page of its own, but can be found on a page  where it clusters among productions from the same factory, Haixintang.   It falls into the category of heavily fermented ripes with an unapologetic fruit expression, in this case cherry, fermented to be precise, but to characterize it as fruity would overshadow its complexity.

Wuliang is in the Lancang/Simao region, whence cometh GPE and Tulin and a region somehow associated with the Xiaguan TF tea region.  This could be a misnomer derived from assuming that the Tulin founder and XG disciple simply picked up shop and moved across the proverbial street.  In any event, Wuliang productions tend to have quite the personality.  The WLR is no exception, particularly in terms of the roast note that comes through, most evocative of coffee.

WLR has a syrupy quality about it.  It is super smooth and coats the mouth with a thick layer of sweet and smoothness.  There’s no doubt that it would perform quite well in thermos.  It doesn’t have the playful fruitiness of Merlot, nor the wicked bitterness of LME’s ripes.  It’s very well conceived, notes of chocolate, orchid, even a suggestion of cinnamon.  It’s sweet and juicy, but all balanced by a powerful roast presence.

Obviously, people looking for their ripes to approximate coffee will love it. Instagram shots.

Puerh Junky Visits Dali Tuo

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Nov

Puerh Junky Visits Dali Tuo is a deceptively titled journal entry because we find Puerh Junky festively clad sniffing at something in a most indecorous manner.  Aye, he’s at it again, this time confusing Bob Cratchit for Ichabod Crane.  The camera zooms in and there’s something about the dude’s eyes that are certifiably “not right.”  It’s the amulet, yeah the spellbinder he’s pawing and sniffing at that’s got him all in a lather.  No doubt some of it has to do with the incantations scribbled upon the wrapper of the thing, the thing he holds.  The thing they call “a tuo.”

Dun-dun-dun.

There’s the hint of smoke and fresh-pressed cotton clothing in the tuo.  Yes.  It gives off a distinct impression of tobacco, something they no doubt smoked upon the Pequod.  It’s got a warm air about it, dressed impeccably in a fine high-cotton wrapper despite being 15yrs old, in the Puerh Junky‘s clutches for three years, stowed away without the light of day in the PJL, what everyone knows to be the Puerh Junky Lair.

“Seems to have blackened up a bit, it does,” he mutters to himself.

Lid removed, big waft of band-aids in the lid, while berries bubble from the cup.  That’s the five min warm cup warm up.  Wood.  No smoke or sugar jump out.  Still warm, complex, a bit cranky, scruffy.  It all comes together in the aroma of the rinse, perhaps berry predominates but now there’s smoke again.  Or wood.

The taste of the rinse is obscenely delicious.  Super sweet, kerosene and berry.  Smooth.  Slick in fact.  It was a headless move to drink the rinse, but such are the perils of conjuring the spirit of Ichabod Crane.  Besides, it’s a long 15m from the opening to the official first infusion.  The aftertaste is super slick.  Three drinking vessels tried: cracked ice Longquan celedon, porcelain glazed zisha (inner glaze), and glass.  The celedon cup gives an alarmingly sanguine finish.  All the while the wood, kerosene, sweet fester in the aftertaste.  From glass there’s a wicker front, a bit more astringency, which is a bit of a surprise.  The porcelain, wood and spice.

It’s aged extremely well.  The band-aid smell from the first infusion is now oppressive in the cup.  Aroma in pitcher is lighter, more nuanced.  Taste of berries shifts to black pepper in the throat, then to kerosene and band-aids.  Band-aids and berry in the aftertaste, then strawberries.  There’s some elements of the vaunted Forever Love in there, smokier presumably is the Dali Tuo.  There’s a kind of echo of smoke.  The note will bend kerosene or smoke depending on perspective.  Storage still clearly fantastic.

The second infusion has the smoothness and viscosity standout.  It’s more wood and petrol in the taste.  Not as sweet.  Tasting more like it’s done being all fruoux, fruoux.  An image of these dogs sitting about a card table smoking cigars comes to mind.  The Puerh Junky tries to distract himself with nicer thoughts like of Ahab and the Pequod.  There’s a lemon note endeavoring to make itself known, and some vegetal bitterness has definitely made itself known, maybe something like dandelion.  Room temp the sweetness and berry prevail in the porcelain cup.

The Dali Tuo gets more and more serious with each passing year.  It’s in a darker more petrolly place presently.  Maybe a year or two before becoming even more strait berry hard to say.  Instagram fotos.

 

Crouching Tiger Hidden Junky

Posted on by Yang-chu
09 Nov

Crouching Tiger Hidden Junky finds our hero cum villain engaged in a bit of an autumn reverie.  The occasion is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a ’19 production comprised of Guogan material.  Guogan is the Mandarin name for a Burmese border town known for high quality material that can be acquired at rat-killing prices compared to Yunnan side of the border.  Crouching Tiger is a Chinese idiom here meaning “diamond in the rough.”

Our censors have informed that the polite crowd now refers to “Burma” as “Myanmar.”  No one says French Indo-China, Siam, or Rhodesia anymore either. For the record, it’s also now called “Myanmar Shave.”   Anyway, we see that the peevish Puerh Junky is far into his session with Crouching Tiger.  He remarks to the narrator that the autumn weather suits the musky, cologne character.  We zoom in:

“This isn’t one of those piercing perfume productions.  The oils have real earth tones to them, making it one of those appealing unisex type scents not a “church lady” horror. There’s a nice ensemble of vetiver, vanilla, a touch of black pepper, possibly cumin and definitely oak.  The ferment adds a cantaloupe finish that is far better in autumn than summer to this Junky’s palate.  Ferment is to be expected for a production of nearly five year (autumn ’23) and moderate density.  Whether the new processing style exhibits such a characteristic is an open question.”

Mister Junky, that’s all very interesting but when do we get to the kung-fu, some flying kicks, a romantic interest or something?

“I think you’re talking about the movie and not the tea.”

Autumn ’23 Clusters

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Oct

Autumn ’23 Clusters chronicles the surreptitious dealings of a Puerh Junky, aka “PJ”, also with the street name “Peej”.  Over the past few months he has been found to be “clustering.”  Evidently this is the new hipster term that users are employing to describe groupings of puerhs strongly resembling gangs.  This cast of clustering characters can be found under curious headings, but not too curious to puerh users.  The following report provides an easy list for those on the lookout.  Expect the list of each of the clusterings to shrink and grow depending on circumstances.  This tracking is up-to-date as of Autumn ’23.

’03 Award Winning Ripes

  • Boss Square
  • Langhe Brick

’04 Fruity Ripes

  • Merlot
  • Golden Sail
  • Haiwan Wild Mt
  • Lucky 7572

’05 DQZ Series

  • Bulang Impressions
  • Spring Arbor Tribute
  • Blue Mark Bulang Big Tree
  • Big Cabbage
  • Yiwu Ripe Private Commission

’05 Jinglong Yiwu Series

  • Yiwu Prince
  • Luoshuidong (LSD)
  • Red Ribbon Mountain Melody

’05 Xinghai Raws

  • Xinghai Green Mark
  • Oasis Odyssey
  • Green Peacock
  • HK Returns 10th Anniversary
  • LBZ

’06 Fuhai Raw Series

  • Bulang Wild Big Tree
  • Fuhai Melody
  • Mincemeat

’06 Haixintang Raw & Ripe

  • Grenouille
  • Wuliang Longevity Ripe Cake
  • Jingmai Old Tree Raw 60g
  • Yiwu 7 Sons Ripe

’06 Humid Ripes

  • Banzhang Ripe King, Fuhai
  • 7262, Xinghai

’06 Lightly Fermented Ripes

  • Silver Peacock, Xinghai
  • T8371, Zhongcha
  • Langhe Tuo
  • Macau Brick

’06 LME Brand Ripe Series

  • Nannuo
  • BZ Peacock King
  • Orchid Vanilla
  • Arbor King

Cluster categories clump conspiring characters for purposes of easy identification despite a measure of inconspicuousness.  Efforts have been made to confine clusters on the first two pages.

Clusters are by no means exhaustive of profile types.  There’s some overlap among the lists and other offerings in The Collection may fall into one of the clusters despite listing.  For example “55” is lightly fermented but isn’t under that cluster.  Descriptions tend to specify offering profiles, while clusters highlight certain characters that may be overlooked or are hidden from the menu but might be found through a search.

Clusters are a work-in-progress, so be on the lookout.

Jingmai Tete A Tete

Posted on by Yang-chu
18 Sep

Jingmai Tete A Tete finally gives the Puerh Junky the chance to brandish his nonexistent French.  More importantly, it allows him to discuss an interlude between two Jingmai from 2014, the Guper and Haixintang.  This encounter has been more than a month in waiting, as it took a spell to complete the Haixintang page.  Let’s start there.

Haixintang

Toward the end of ’22 after loading up on Xinghai offerings, the Puerh Junky decided upon a deeper exploration of Haixintang.  Both the brick and tuo forms of Grenouille impressed, but it was time to determine whether something of their production personality could be gleaned by picking up a few of their offerings.  An ’06 tuo from Youle could not make The Collection for the time being.  Its got an unfamiliar Youle expression in the Puerh Junky‘s limited forays with that terroir.  At the same time, it does manifest an aggressive spirit that resembles some aspects of Grenouille.  Conversely, the Jingmai to be discussed and ’08 Nannuo (unlisted) could hardly be viewed in the same light.  Instead of aggression, the focus is on simplicity, a truth to the terroir.  It’s difficult to find a thread uniting them.  Let’s get on to how the Jingmai measures up to the GPE offering.

GPE & HXT (Sitting in a Tree)

Jingmai is often recommended for newbies.  The aroma is bright, fresh, effulgent.  There’s probably a great amount of it that’s given the ole sweet-me-now processing, so brewing tends to be very forgiving.  The terroir is large and it’s also conceivable that by some measure it’s naturally sweet earlier than some others.  It’s also imaginable that there’s a processing style common among many producers that favours woking for sweetness.

The thing is the Puerh Junky never came into contact with such Jingmai between ’12-15.  Large- or small-leaf varieties, they were quite typical of other productions requiring a spell to transform.  One possible exception was the first Jingmai tasted in KM, which was a very early spring, tippy production that possessed formidable bitterness behind the orchid aroma.  These prefatory remarks relate directly to the contrast between the GPE and HXT offers.

Both have a wickedly inviting aroma but the GPE possesses a bitterness, a burliness that is possibly less frequently offered by Western vendors.  The HXT hasn’t even a smidge of bitterness.  It’s perfect for the beginning brewer.  The HXT is one of the most even-keeled production ever drunk.  Though infusion times require building, the taste and character hardly budges.  The sweetness remains about the same, ditto for the very mild astringency.  It’s a light refreshing breeze by a tree-lined brook, a shallow and clean brook streaming over little smooth pebbles, shimmers of sunlight here and there.

Suppose you decide to head downstream and you know that you’re in a Grimm Fairytale.  Since we’re talking about a Jingmai, you know that the story should turn out happily ever after, but not without a bit of drama, a lost shoe, some misbehaving ogre, an unrelenting step-relative.  That’s the GPE.  The travails make the story at the very least more interesting.  There’s a crescendo, it’s going somewhere, that part of Jingmai that your step-uncle didn’t tell you about.

Final Words

The tete a tete between GPE and HXT reveals a remarkable contrast between two offerings from the same terroir.  HXT is definitely best for those averse to bitterness, beginners, and for moods where one can do without the drama.  GPE is for those who haven’t had Jingmai bitterness and depth while still remaining true to the Jingmai spirit.  Thought this clip at 6:41 captured the differences.

Week ‘O Liming Aug ’23

Posted on by Yang-chu
12 Aug

Week ‘O Liming Aug ’23 took on three Liming offerings: ’05 Peacock Country, ’11 Jade Rabbit, and ’07 Golden Elephant.  Let’s not dally and get right down to it.

’05 Peacock Country Morning Light

The Peacock Country Morning Light is a production that has been in the Puerh Junky’s possession since around ’16.  It appears that around ’21 Liming released another cache onto the market, so it can be sourced from numerous vendors probably with marginal differences in storage since they’re all coming from the factory.  There’s a reason why so many have picked up the PCML. . . it’s fantastic.

Watching the evolution of the PCML has been a fascinating experience.  From the “early days”, Puerh Junky found it basically undrinkable: too sharp, tippy, no sweetness.  Every year’s sampling elicited the same response while it’s price climbed before completely disappearing from the landscape by ’19. In ’21 it had completely transformed into a much darker and serious brew: sweet tobacco, leather, durable.

Now raspberry is the prevailing PCML theme along a background of tobacco, maybe some smoke, a bit of leather.  This theme continues throughout the experience with the tobacco diminishing as you go and the raspberry crowding out all other players.  It’s one of the best productions under $90 that you’ll get for a cake this age.

’11 Jade Rabbit

“Guabei” is the Chinese term for when all the good stuff from a tea coats the pitcher and cup.  Jade Rabbit’s most noteworthy feature is that it guabei.  The taste for the first five infusions is ultra Zen, quite a contrast from when first acquired in ’22 and being Bulang material.  Subsequent infusions darken up, while getting bitter and losing sweetness.  Young?  Not really, but this is typical of productions that have more years of storage to go.  So far, storage is solid.  Too much of the wrong kind of bitter at the moment.  No astringency to speak of.  Doesn’t dry the mouth.  Hint of smoke in later infusions.  Jury still out.

’07 Golden Elephant

The Golden Elephant’s crowning virtue is its high drinkability.  Puerh Junky just pulled it down at the time of writing this post to make out like the week was Liming replete.  Broth is fruity and light, whimsical.  Huigan leaves a slight measure of bitterness with a fruitiness that matches broth coating the mouth.  Seems like it would be perfect for a beginner or a child.  One dimensional like single terroirs, quite fitting given the cartoonish wrapper.  It’s not meant to be taken seriously.  Doesn’t dry the mouth and it’s not too sweet.  The bitter finish isn’t shabby and it’d prolly make an excellent cold brew.

Week ‘O Liming Wrap-up

Puerh Junky’s prolly been meaning to getting around to posting the Peacock Country for six months now.  There’s a sample that can be found over on the Sampler page, along with the highly regarded Peacock Brick, Rabbit and a few others.  PCML lasts considerably longer, like forever, brewed in gaiwan.  I have maybe two or three on hand for $89 if you want to email.  Just a reminder about free shipping on all orders over $75.

I notice from the description of the Rabbit that the taste profile has shifted from fruity playful to Zen.  Both it and the Elephant were Liming pings to determine whether more should be acquired.  So far, I’d say they’re “ok” but not as compelling as their OG Square, which has an entirely different personality, and The Collection offerings like the Tulin Tuo and the Dragon Pearls, which are jovial with lot’s of body, sweetness, and stamina.

 

Puerh Junky Under Dynamic Moon(cake)

Posted on by Yang-chu
02 Aug

Puerh Junky Under Dynamic Moon(cake) attempts to capture a Sunday-morning moment.  It involved the notorious Puerh Junky and a Menghai ripe in The Collection since ’16, the Mooncake.  Here the focus is on the word “dynamic.”  Much digital ink has been spilled over both this offering and its maker, Yangpinhao YPH.  No need to go there.  Today, it’s about “capturing”, “focusing”, and “dynamism.”  Nonetheless, a tale of the tape is in order.

The ’12 Mooncake is a 200g square, embossed with the fancy YPH logo.  As of ’23 it’s 13yo.  In light of the absence of any petrichor or other humid notes, it’s fair to call it dry-stored; but it’s not dry.  It’s hard to put a finger on how it’s evolved over time.  The silty mouthfeel for certain has diminished, as has the baby powder fragrance.  In its place, perhaps more incense and dark chocolate.  A perfume character has held steady throughout the years

It changes much during the session.  The huigan is the star.  Here is where a mélange of taste sensations come through.  Wood prevails, if that tends toward oak or sandalwood is going to depend upon the drinker.  There’s sourness, wood sour that lingers, but not sharply.  Everything about the experience is refined.  A glassy quality in the broth remains throughout, but as it cools more chocolate milk notes appear. At room temp, it’s pure squeeze bottle Hershey’s without the milk, drizzled over sandalwood powder, topped with half a cherry.  It’s not fruity, but there’s a dash in there to add to the artistry.  There’s quite a bit of vanilla.

This is not they type of ripe that is going for ripe thickness.  Pushing in the early infusions frankly will only ruin the refinement.  There’s certainly no need to push to get the feeling.  The qi is exceptional.  It’s a real nape-necker that spreads along the traps to the back of the arms, another wave up to the ears, eliciting stretches that advance to headrush, Ultraman hand gestures and imaginings, before the urge to seriously lay down, yawns, itchy eyes.  Super, duper relaxing.  No inkling of unsettled feeling in the chest.

Mooncake has entered its next stage of development.  Does this place it in company with the light-fermented ripes that age out over time to approximate raws?  Perhaps, but there’s no raw that I’ve ever tasted that is this dark.  For fun, the thought occurred to compare Mooncake with the Langhe Ripe Tuo, since both have pronounced wood notes.

  1. Mooncake is much more “floral” or “perfume.”  The perfume note of the Mooncake is its most distinguishing feature.
  2. Mooncake has a much fruitier nose in the late infusions, day two.
  3. LHT is sweeter.
  4. Mooncake is more bitter.
  5. Mooncake’s huigan is perfume and late infusions enter the baby powder zone.
  6. Both achieve best results when brewed as if raws, meaning extended infusion times at outset are not ideal.
  7. LHT is much more sour than the Mooncake.
  8. LHT has a smoky hickory finish that’s like bacon.
  9. Mooncake tastes heavier.

Instagram shots.