Puerh Junky Visits Chameleon 2022

Posted on by Yang-chu
17 Oct

Puerh Junky Visits Chameleon 2022 pays some much-needed attention to Chameleon.  It’s not brewing crystal clear anymore.  Oh well.  However, the Puerh Junky finally found the words for Chameleon‘s banana aroma. . . fried banana.

Chameleon is an excellent drinking experience.  It is now at a stage where the ’06 Bulang Thick Brick, GPE was when first purchased in ’14.  However, Chameleon is not humid stored. It lacks the cinnamon aroma too.   Those looking for ripes that approximate coffee should consider the Ripe Sampler, but not this brick.  Similar to the Thick Brick the huigan lasts forever.  Comprised of fried banana, yam, lacquered wicker furniture in a Florida July, sweet roots like burdock and angelica, and a piquant kick of juniper, Chameleon is a lot like a Tootsie Roll beverage that changed its formula to sell in China.  Very much in the tradition of Chinese tonics or if not the neighborhood of Dr. Pepper certainly its zip code.

This round, Chameleon brewed in the red-clay gaiwan at near flash brew durations till the fifth infusion, whereby it lasted for another three rounds with considerable pushing.  The huigan, fragrance, and colour lasts through, though the texture and sweetness dissipate quicker thereafter.   Unexpectedly exotic, terranean, and complex.  Since acquisition it seems that the tastes have melded to make for a ripe experience beyond the ordinary.

Puerh Ratings 2022

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Peacock 9611, CNNP
09 Oct

Below find Puerh Ratings 2022 according to a few websites from Baidu searches.

Chinapp (品牌网)

The Chinapp derives their rankings “based on nearly 100 indicators such as brand strength, product sales, user reputation, and netizen voting.”

  1. Dayi (huge surprise. . . not)
  2. Liming (genuinely huge surprise)
  3. Zhongcha (fairly surprising, they’re referencing about the “new Zhongcha” for sure)
  4. Xiaguan
  5. Fucunmeiji (福村梅记).  This one is a huge surprise.  A few years ago, they also ranked quite highly.  At the time of that ranking 2015, Yangpinhao had their hand in the processing of Fucunmeiji’s offerings.  Dunno if that’s still the case.
  6. Longyuanhao
  7. Longsheng Puercha (龙生普洱茶）Totally unfamiliar.
  8. Laotongzhi
  9. Langhe
  10. Fuhai

Rankings (排行榜)

This is a pure rankings website that devised their ranking “according to the brand evaluation and sales volume”.  Participants in rankings appear to be fewer than 100.

  1. Dayi
  2. Liming
  3. Qingfengxiang (庆沣祥) A upper tier of Colourful Yunnan Brand
  4. Xiaguan
  5. Laotongzhi
  6. Chenshenghao
  7. Gongming (宫明) Unfamiliar est. 2014
  8. Colourful Yunnan
  9. Fuhai
  10. Lancangjiang Familiar but never tried. Est 1985

Cangpin Puerh (藏品普洱)

While the two above seem to be keen on selling tea, this site only lists three and is much more focused on the history surrounding the factories.

  1. Dayi
  2. Fujin
  3. Chenshenghao

Newest Comparison of China’s Top 10 Puerh Brands 2022

This is just an article, but worth running through the translator.  Bet you cannot guess which is #1.

  1. Dayi
  2. Xiaguan
  3. Laotongzhi
  4. Zhongcha
  5. Chenshenghao
  6. Lancang Gucha
  7. Mengku(rongshi)
  8. Douji
  9. Fuhai
  10. Liming

Puchawang (普茶网)

Seems this might have been devised in ’21 but reposted in May ’22.  Site dedicated purely to puerh tea news, articles, storage, and brewing.

  1. Dayi
  2. Xiaguan
  3. Fujin
  4. Chenshenghao
  5. Mengkurongshi
  6. Liming
  7. Laotongzhi
  8. Changtai
  9. Xinghai
  10. Zhongcha

Reflections

Clearly, Dayi commands pole position in the world of puerh.  As far as the remaining positions go, there is considerably more jockeying.  Among the sites devising a list, some are clearly more geared toward plying their wares.  This might influence what appears to be the presence of some fairly obscure brands.  Others seem to be more influenced by reputation built by the brands, adhering to traditional views among experts.  Among the five, the first two seem to be more sales oriented, whereas the last three more in the traditional camp.

No single list can be taken as gospel, but taken together one gains some idea about what consumers and experts both take seriously.  The composite picture isn’t going to change much from one year to the next.  Probably checking every five years is more than sufficient to apprehend any surprising developments.

Another thing is that it is highly doubtful that most of the lists are based upon the most recent productions.  This makes it virtually impossible for upstarts to get on the list.  Consequently, this makes the Chinapp list at least interesting in terms of introducing potentially viable fresh players.  Longsheng isn’t a new player, but their presence given their age did garner attention.

Regarding specific factories, we see Liming placing in all of the top-ten charts.  Again, it is not altogether clear why LM has the reputation it does in the English world, but at the very least it is reasonable to conclude that this view is not shared in the Mainland.  Second, Fuhai does considerably better than Xinghai, but the Puerh Junky wonders to what extent Xinghai’s processing of Fujin factors.  It just conjecture.  Finally, the Puerh Junky sees factories making a list as largely a combination of size, history, marketing, connections, and finally quality.  Tasting productions on an off the list is a bit of a lifetime project to determine how each may personally rate for you.

 

 

 

Sweet Mesquite: BZ Peacock Autumn 2022

Posted on by Yang-chu
06 Oct

Sweet Mesquite: BZ Peacock Autumn 2022 comes with yet another enigmatically titled blog entry about the ’06 BZ Peacock, XH.  Quite a bit has been blogged about this.  As of autumn 2022, it earns another entry to chronicle the results of the summer.  Autumn is harvest time.  In Los Angeles it’s the peak time for capturing the results of summer storage.

BZ Peacock is now noticeably sweet.  It’s not entirely the sobering whiskey/tequilla of even a few months back.  The sweetness commingles with a bitter/dry mesquite and fleeting fruit notes.  A few infusions in, this fruit takes on the character of apple pie from slightly sweet and sour apples baked in a wood-fired oven.  The sour detected in couple previous sessions hides less now, though it doesn’t overpower the overall composition.  Altogether, it an impressive combination of dish detergent and laundry after a hike that included a campfire.

It’s not ashy or sooty.  Furthermore, it’s fair to make associations with kerosene and pencil shavings along with lemonene.  It’s still a little bit jagged, but that is how many people prefer their tea.  Comparing it to the Green Mark A, Wang Xia it is still a shade clumsy, like a tequila or whiskey you can tell that’s good but just needs a little more time.

The qi is still notably aggressive, particularly in the head.  It is very heady.  As far as other Xinghai productions go, the BZ Peacock is highly representative, though it may be a factor more intense.  It’s hard to say because all Xinghai productions around this time are burly and complex.  It’s price is certainly intense. . . presumably because of its qi and direct Peacock lineage.

 

Puerh Junky Visits Hideout

Posted on by Yang-chu
02 Oct

Puerh Junky Visits Hideout marvels upon a recurrent 2002 phenomenon: the reversed-aging process of some moderately stored raw puerhs better than 15yrs old.   By “moderate”, we’re talking about a reasonable amount of heat and humidity for transformation without humidity affecting the taste.

Not long ago, there was a time when Hideout seemed headed for deep, dark forest.  The prevailing vanilla, with a matching ruddy liquor, presumably should have continued onto roots and spice.  Instead, a second spring has emerged and it takes better than six infusions to get to the vanilla.  The coppery taste noted two years ago has completely vanished.

It doesn’t just turn to vanilla. Powerful floral and lemonene notes gradually merge with the deeper stage.  It’s an extremely sophisticated expression.  Previously, Hideout offered a nice mellow experience.  As of early autumn 2022, its spectacular raw material and processing really shines, imparting a depth and liveliness.

No doubt some dedicated readers of the Puerh Junky will feel the urge to retort, “But PJ, you said you don’t like floral.”

That’s usually correct, especially when talking about young Menghai and Fengqing, Lincang florals.  They’re too brash.  Here, there is nothing brash.  It’s intense but refined through age, Gore Vidal instead of Sam Kinisin.  Hideout is next level good.

 

Tuo for Two

Posted on by Yang-chu
28 Sep

Tuo for Two is a modern-day reverie.  Don’t laugh.  You should be crying.  The three tuo consumed over the past two days are a cryin’ shame.  Before the gory details, a pressing grammatical question should first be laid to rest.  The plural form of “tuo” is tuo.  If you see “tuos” written somewhere, try to be kind.  Even the “your/you’re” dragon has resisted the slings and arrows of correction.  What chances does tuo, much further down on the list of grammatical grievances, actually have?  Now that we dispensed with that there’s something else. . .

Given the title of this missive, chances are good that many readers are harboring suspicions that the Puerh Junky considers cornball allusions to Cole Porter cutting edge.   If you don’t know who Cole Porter is, you still might harbor suspicions but of a different sort.  Mind you, I have it on good authority that one should never let a Cole Porter allusion slip by, even if he didn’t write the lyrics.

Two Days of Tuo-ture

Recently the Puerh Junky posted an easy-listing page.  No, you won’t find Christopher Cross or Steely Dan, but there’s a slew of raw tuo.  One is the T861, Tulin which has been in the Collection since ’15.  There are two remaining.  At one time it bore the name AMT.   Comments there are interestingly honest however aberrant that sesh was.

Dry T861 gives off limestone, honey, and a slight hint of newspaper.  Brewed in red clay, the mineral notes stand out, while in the gaiwan it is sweet and smooth with a hint of humidity.  The astringency attacks the blade of the tongue, lips, and deep in the throat.  The Chinese call this “ghost pinching the throat,” 鬼掐喉咙。 Overall, the taste is what is associated with peat.  The huigan is nicely complex with light humidity, honey, and minerals chatting on in unison.  The seriously sweet broth possesses complimentary thickness.  Beware!  There’s lotsa camphor to this.  Upon exhalation even a hint of something floral can be caught.  As one progresses in gaiwan this floral element becomes more pronounced.  Zero smoke, even a bit of sour.  Deeply satisfying, really the epitome of what a recipe puerh should be: cured with character.

Infusions 2 and 3

I accidentally left the 6.3g of the Red Mark Tuo in the same 100ml red clay pot too long.  Out poured a syrupy decoction.  I was certain that it was going to be horrible but ended up horrified.  I’ve been drinking this since Jan ’20 but in Sept ’22 it is not just the best its been but a serious contender for one of the best offerings in the collection.

Foto from early 2022

It’s so smooth and balanced.  Dense petrol, wood, and incense characterize the broth.  It’s not remotely pencil shavings, caustic, or for want of any additional note.  There is a subtle camphor note tying everything together keeping it from becoming oppressive, excessively unctuous.  The summer has been very good to the Red Mark Tuo.

First acquiring the Tiger Tuo sometime in early ’16, it ended up aging quickly into a root beer-y delight.  I decided to reup on the order in the ’20 and then found it at a better price later in the year.  There’s something to be said for slow storage.  In this case, the sharpness has receded while the interesting pineapple and other fruit notes have been preserved.

Summer has also been very good to the Tiger Tuo.  It’s super sweet, thick, and fruity, with a thread of pine sap that makes it distinctive.  A fellow drinker called it the best she’s ever had like “paint thinner”.  What a compliment.  Tiger is light years from the treasures mentioned above.  It hasn’t entered into the transformed state where the camphor comes in and the liquor turns reddish, but it’s transformed sufficiently to allow the sap and sugars to emerge.  There’s no telling how long it will remain in this state.   V. slight smoke and comprised of about five terroir including a Jingmai backbone, along with Bangwei, Bingdao, and others.

 

Wild Jingmai GPE Returns

Posted on by Yang-chu

Wild Jingmai GPE Returns draws the reader’s attention to the restocking of a very good production.  It was last written about in Oct ’20.  As noted in the product description, WJM more than doubled from the Puerh Junky’s original purchase price.  Whereas it was previously a certifiable steal, the price is still quite fair compared to offerings of similar factory reputation, age, and quality.

Perhaps since the last missive on WJM, it has increased in viscosity and sweetness.  The tight compression might be contributing to its pronounced vivaciousness.  It’s hard to say.  The recent lot hails from the same vendor as before.  He favours very conservative storage.  By contrast, his ’07 Tibetan Script Jingmai, GPE, though considerably more expensive, required two years storage on the Los Angeles side before the offering was in drinking shape. Curiously, the Wild Jingmai has always been highly drinkable.

Despite being eight years old, there are none of the ferment-y notes that can be fairly typical for this age.  The unabashed bitterness in later infusions offers a distinctive contrast to its seductive candy floral aroma.   There was a time when I might bash my head against the wall differentiating between bitterness and astringency, but after reading a post where one confused sour for bitter it’s best to leave well enough alone.  That said, astringency is a texture and bitterness is a flavour.  WJM gets off-the-charts bitter deeper down without tasting as though the bitterness is from being immature; rather, it reflects a very common attribute among Jingmais in general.  No doubt about it, WJM is hegemonic, what the call in Chinese badao, 霸道。

Wild Jingmai joins Jingmai “003” as the only other entire Jingmai in the Collection. The Ox Tuo and the Ox, 6FTM consist of Jingmai blends.

Puerh Junky Visits Marquis

Posted on by Yang-chu
19 Sep

Puerh Junky Visits Marquis du Green Mark picks up in the middle of Sept 2022.  Since at least July Puerh Junky had it in his mind to pay the Marquis a visit, so we find him bowing deeply and apologizing profusely.  The Marquis, clad in purple knee-high stockings with matching knee-low knickers, a white shirt with green buttons, and a gauze-y green cape brushes the formalities aside, grabbing the Puerh Junky’s hand, leading him to the tea room.

Marquis du Green Mark

The Marquis takes out 5.3g of his stuff and places in the red clay Ming replica pot of 100ml.  The taste is surprising.  The summer has in no way imparted a heavier layer upon it and it is clear that a great deal of some of the light humid attributes from previous years have retreated.  At the same time two qualities stand out.

First, the floral creme note commands attention.  Here, we find an expression quite similar in many regards to Creme Florale, MKRS.  Second, comes a crispness that is most surprising.  The surprise come from it being more vivacious than it was previously.  It could be the Marquis’s choice of brewing vessel.  Truth be told, MduG  has always had a grabbiness to it.  That texture in the midst of darker humidity, however, left an altogether different impression, a royal impression.  Now the impression is crisp, almost cold.

Marquis cashed Sept 2022

Marquis du Green Mark is one of a number of Green Marks in the Collection and Stash.  Green Mark is another name for “7542″ recipe, which is to raw puerh what 501s are to jeans.  The idea behind the Green Mark isn’t that it is the best but that it is classic and relatively cheap.  The cheapness factor wanes with age and a proper 7542 needs at least a good 15 years under its belt.  Now let’s shift analogies.

Just as every classical guitarist must have Segovia in their repertoire, so too do most factories feel compelled to offer their rendering of the Green Mark. Meistra Du Qiongzhi was commissioned by an obscure boutique in crafting the Lucky 7542.  A few posts on her have been written.  Here the Lucky serves as an appropriate comparison with the Marquis.

Lucky possesses a similar astringent foundation to the Marquis.  However, Lucky‘s creme florale factor, evident in the earlier infusions, melds more harmoniously amidst a medley of expressions.  While spending at least the better part of the summer in a subdued state of malted hay, it has instantly taken on a much more serious character.

Lucky 2022

Floral astringency is the Green Mark identity.  Raw material and transformation determines how special it becomes.  Lucky is now starting to express woody petrol notes that blends with camphor.  It evokes a sense of a much lighter version of Wang Xia’s Green Mark.  There’s a hickory note in there reminiscent of the 50/50 a raw/ripe blend from years ago.  Those two cakes are both quite a bit more aged, but Lucky is showing promising signs.

The Marquis is a crisp Green Mark without any signs of petrol or camphor.  Its floral character, combined with cream, has remained true with less humidity from a couple years back.  Lucky, on the other hand, is a much more complex balance of tastes, reflective of more dynamic transformation of the Naka material.

 

 

Found: Tinned Pig

Posted on by Yang-chu
08 Sep

Found: Tinned Pig casts a glimmer of light upon the travails of the Puerh Junky, a foundering soul amidst a sea of puerh containers, wrappers, boxes, struts and frets.  As we zoom in, the camera has a retro filter.  We see the Puerh Junky in the cave on the Sunday before Labour Day 2022.  Hair amiss and sweat pouring from his brow and neck, he’s looking for his Gedeng dragon pearls.

Some moody Philip Glass music, monotonous and foreboding, sounds in the background.  A rudderless skiff at night fades in and out between shots of PJ searching.  A thought as to the whereabouts of the missing Pig pops to his mind.  The narrator vanishes and we see him in an interview with a reporter from the world-famous Puerh Storage News. . .

Piggy Went Home

I’m estimating that ’07 Pig sat in its secret location in the cave since May ’22, as that’s around the last time I appear to have last written about it.  At the time, I recall a measure of consternation because it was starting to taste metallic.  Immediately lay to rest the idea that the Puerh Junky listens to this type of music. (note: even in interviews he has this bad habit of referring to himself in third person)  It’s just a serendipitous funny occasioned by the word, and Mariano Rivera’s walk-up tune.  Fact is, I wouldn’t even it know the tune but for Rivera.

For four months it had sat cooking with the lid.  Immediately, I removed the lid and placed in the raw side of the fridge.  It sat there for two days and was sampled on the third.  The results?  Forget you Philip Glass!

Pig Unfocused

This is the sweetest and thickest the Pig has been, but what jumps out immediately is the pallor.  This is consistently the colour the brew throughout.  Where is the aged colour?  I mentioned something about this conundrum when looking at leaves.  May have even gone into the colour deception.

I’ve had the Pig since ’15.  In another post, I discussed the pleasing changes of the Zhongcha Pig, acquired around the same time.  Now, the 6FTM Pig cannot be said to not have transformed, because it has.  All of the edginess, the piercing attributes of a young tippy production have vanished.  There is notable drying astringency as well that takes hold for a spell before releasing the mouth watering.  The floral has transformed to fruity and it resides in the mouth for a pleasant duration.

’07 Pig, 6FTM Cashed

Everything about the taste matches its colour but the age.  I would easily guess that this is a puerh at least ten years younger, except that it doesn’t infuse to a layer where the sweetness dissipates.  I would also identify it as a Lincang, but from the Bingdao side not Fengqing.

Anyway, as far as the ongoing tinning experiment, it appears when the tin is outside the fridge that the lid does not affect the taste.  Inside the fridge, the tin starts to bleed into the taste.  Again, this goes back to the matter of air flow.  The Pig is now happily resting in the fridge without its lid.   Pig isn’t for sale, but a sample of the quite similar Fohai is avail in Sampler U, along with samples of the Lunar Ox and Monkey.

 

 

Replicating Puerh Brewing Results

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Sep

Replicating Puerh Brewing Results extends a conversation regarding Drury Lane at the end of June ’22.  In late Aug of the same year, Puerh Junky endeavored to replicate the splendid results.  The upshot?  Setting the brick out for a few days before brewing reproduced the desired results.

Although it would be nice to just grab from the stash and brew something up, each treasure has its own personality that will be greatly influenced by storage conditions and season.  Only you know your storage and climactic conditions.  Relating my own only demonstrates that there are no hard and fast rules and you’re only going to find what’s right for you through experimentation.

This time Drury Lane sat out for about three days before being brewed.  The results were superb.  It’s fair to say that any brewing without sitting out a few days would be a waste.  One caveat: so long as it remains in the same storage space, the fridge.

Since April ’22, the fridge has become a power-storage space.  Whereas previously, some humidifiers were placed here and there in the fridge, the current setup has a shelf where a tray of humidification resides.  It consists of a simple large plastic take-out food container with two florist sponges about an inch thick.  The tray is filled with water mixed with perhaps 1/8th, maybe less, of food-grade propylene glycol, used to discourage mold.  If I see mold growing on the sponges, then I add a more concentrated mixture.  I don’t just pour the pg into the tray.  It needs to be mixed.

Precision Humefaction

The tray sits uncovered because there is no risk of spillage and because it diffuses faster than if it were covered.  Most all the other storage containers have a similar setup but with lids that have numerous holes melted into them.  I heated a big screw with a kitchen torch to make them without cracking the plastic.  Two of the very big containers have one-gallon jugs cut to accommodate a big sponge and a good amount of water.  Both containers are accessed frequently and allow more airflow than the fridge, so this seemed to be the best way to get lotsa humidity into the containers.

Dodger tape optional

One such container holds ripes.  The morning of Sept 2nd, ’22 occasioned its opening to sample Snake.  The blast of air upon opening promised good “juice-ification” for the treasures therein.  It’s been hot and humid these past few days.  This setup makes for power humidity, enlivening the ripes, making them richer and sweeter.  Right now it’s ultra primo storage, as the air flow and heat is much greater than the fridge.

Already, 2022 has been the Snake‘s best year, so checking in on it was simply to determine whether it would also require a few day’s airing given the difference in storage.  Findings?  No airing necessary.   The plastic container provides nearly ideal conditions with this humidifier during the hot season.

The most current stint of heat has been quite humid so the amount of water that the fridge has been drinking is actually less than June and July.  It could also be that the tea has reached a certain saturation level, but I’m guessing that it has more to do with ambient humidity.

In general, I’m not worried about mold.  It’s never been a problem and the returns are huge in terms of how happy it makes the puerh.  This applies to both raw and ripes.  From mid-Nov to the beginning of July, temperatures will normally only get into the 90s (27c?) maybe a total of 15 days.  September and October will be burners, but usually the humidity will be quite super low.  Perhaps this newly outfitted humidifiers will work with the dry heat to keep up a juicy cooking, but the main purpose is to prevent excessive drying.

Much could be said on these seasonal changes, but the focus here is on reproducing the same effects for an excellent ripe which had started to drop off from excessive dryness and didn’t impress after conditions had switched to greater humidity.  It turns out, the original charm blossomed after sitting out for a few days.  Visiting the Snake confirmed some of the weaknesses of storage in the fridge.  As an aside, it should be noted that there are other items stored in the fridge that don’t seem to need any airing.  Again, each production has its own personality, shaped by material, compression, and mysterious variables necessitating constant fiddling to bring out the best from each.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Puerh is super forgiving.

 

Puerh Rating Creme Florale

Posted on by Yang-chu
26 Aug

Puerh Rating Creme Florale takes us to a 23 Aug ’22  tasting of a Mengku Rongshi production from 2011.  It’s been in the Collection since April of ’21 and has now in effect sojourned two Los Angeles Summers.  Here we subject it to the much ballyhooed PJRS.

Mengku Rongshi is an outfit focusing narrowly on Lincang offerings primarily in and around Daxueshan.  Bingdao offerings essentially round out their pre-’14 selections, though in recent years they’ve offered more village specific selections, e.g. Xiaohuzhai, Mangfei, Xigui etc.

For several years they’ve been producing Lunar New Years cakes.  One series with a yellow wrapper and zodiac animal floated around for several years but disappeared after ’19.  Those cakes were 900g and equally handsome in price.  A few years ago, PJ issued at least one missive on the Tiger (500g) of an altogether different series (perhaps a one off) that was nothing short of perfect, possessing that DXS zest with a splendid aged root beer-y and floral expression.  I recently saw a description that it was Bingdao, but it’s not.  I’ve been trying to source the Tiger ever since and the last time I saw it, its price was more than 3X the ’15 price and the vendor didn’t respond to calls.  Oh well.  Onto the Creme Florale. . .

Rating Creme Florale

Creme Florale presents with standard MKRS features in terms of moderate compression and an aggressive nature.  Unique is the cream expression that comes in up front and through the middle before tailing off into an aggressive back end.  The contrast between the two intrigues.

After three rounds the total was as follows:

  • Aroma          12
  • Clarity            9
  • Sweetness   10.5
  • Viscosity       10.5
  • Astringency    8
  • Huigan          10.5
  • Qi                    9

Reflections

Creme Florale possesses an extremely inviting aroma, something like Cream of Wheat with a hint of citrus.  Cream and a hint of grass characterise the first infusion’s broth taste, with a thickening and sweetening as it cools.  On comes the astringency, sassy, along with citrus and definite mouth watering.

Infusion 1

An extravagant vanilla aroma follows in the next infusion with a matching taste.  Astringency is strong with a lilies and orchid in the huigan.  This effect possibly gets overwhelmed by the astringency.  The rating notes that CF rates lowest in astringency, not for lack of it but because it has too large a presence.

The qi hits in the second infusion, heady with hints of being too aggressive in the chest.  Salivary activity, as an expression of huigan, excels.  Hunger starts to set in.  At cooler temp, bitterness is detectable with the aforementioned citrus note.

Infusion 3

By the third infusion the lily-orchid note is in full effect, accompanied by very noticeable bitterness.  Cooler the broth thickens and sweetens, with the bitterness abating before returning in the huigan.  The cream note comes through at cooler temps as well.  In this infusion, clarity rates 2.5 reflecting the overall youthfulness.

Conclusions

Creme Florale is aptly named and perfectly suitable for those who like their raw puerhs on the younger side, i.e., with lots of astringency.  The aroma and up front tastes are divine.  The expression holds true to the MKRS house style, and as the session progresses their characteristic brightness and force are on full display.  Give or take, CR lasts a good nine rounds.  This session was flash brewed in a gaiwan and time wasn’t added till about the seventh round.

69/105 B-

About the PJRS.