Category Archives: The Junky’s Log

Puerh Battle: Auspicious Dragon vs Fruit Monster

Posted on by Yang-chu
16 May

In this Tobacco Puerh Side-by-Side we’ll be comparing the ’11 Fruit Monster with ’07 Auspicious Dragon, WD.  The two fell into the tobacco class of puerh tastes and were similarly associated in terms of one another.  Hear they are:

’07 Auspicious Dragon

11 Fruit Monster, GPE

Both item have a tobacco nature that could easily be associated with Xiaguan.  The Fruit Monster comes from the Simao region.  The Auspicious Dragon hails from Jinggu, a region more renowned for its black and white teas.

Both items have been stored better than two years here in Los Angles.  I brewed the Auspicious Dragon in my workhorse clay pot and the Fruit Monster in porcelain, adjusting for the age difference.  The mouthfeel of the Fruit Monster was considerably thicker.  I think some of that thickness must be attributed to brewing in porcelain.  When pushed, it bottoms out into unpleasant bitterness and astringency that scorches the tongue.  Otherwise, its a wholly pleasant fruit and spice type that is far less smoky as when first acquired.

Auspicious Dragon Front Fruit Monster Back, different infusions.

Auspicious Dragon is getting fruitier than when first arriving.  The petrol and tobacco and starting to fade into allspice, black pepper and slightly petrol soaked jackfruit with a citron overtones.  Despite being four years older than the Monster, it’s still sharp in some places.  Both are moderately dry stored.

The Auspicious Dragon seems to be in it for the long haul as far as storage goes.  The Fruit Monster is in for considerably easier drinking with nice vanilla notes for enjoying now.

 

 

Smoke, Sugar, and Stone: Puerh Vessels Cont.

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Apr

Smoke, sugar, and stone, that’s the tastes I pick up drinking Cherry Blossom from my cracked-ice celedon cup.  The yellow clay cup gives a considerably rounder effect.  Welcome to puerh vessel comparison continued.  In this foray, we’re taking a closer look at ’12 Cherry Blossom puerh cake with the following cast of characters:

My new clay pot 150cc– the fanciest of my acquisitions so far.  I’m calling it UFO.

Next is this cup, probably my fav, in a shot taken barely over a year ago.


Finally there’s a yellow clay cup, for which I have neither picture nor recollection of how it entered my possession.

The religious reader of these most-episodic posts may be scratching his head, as only in my very last post I had established that productions younger than 10 years old are best in a gaiwan.  I’ve had Cherry Blossom in both even quite recently.  It is a unique raw that I can imagine enjoying any which way.

The UFO pot has a fast pour rate.  This is ideal for taking advantage of the clay chemistry while preventing over brewing.   In the initial infusions, the glazed cup imparts a bit more ashy bite at the end.  By the fifth infusion, the tea must soak for at least 10s and the difference between the two becomes less discernible.  It seems that the celedon cup begins to be just as round but with greater evidence of tobacco and smoke, though I could be making that up.  What I don’t feel I’m making us is how thicker and rounder the experience is with the clay cup.  At a lower temp, vanilla notes are more apparent from it.

From the seventh infusion, brewing time needed to be increased to about 30 s.  At this stage of its development, the Cherry Blossom name seems wholly fitting, as the cherry notes really gain steam especially in the aftertaste.  With longer brewing times at cool temps, some bitterness comes through but not bottoming out bitterness.

Somehow, I feel that the experience with the glazed cup is better because the notes come through purer than with clay.  The tea itself is impressive on many levels from  complexity of taste to durability to its salivation production.

No Fields Found.

Puerh Vessel Variants: Imperial Roots

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Apr

Lately, I’ve been on a gaiwan kick, essentially testing my puerh vessel hypothesis.  It goes something like this: raw puerhs younger than ten years old are generally better in a gaiwan and those older are generally better in clay.  The hypothesis has generally held true for puerhs younger than ten, but I needed to test those older.  Hence, Puerh Vessel Variant: Imperial Roots.

Imperial Roots has been newly christened.  Formerly called  “Gift Box,” such a drab name did this ’08 XG production more than a bit of a disservice.  I started with the gaiwan:  disappointingly flat.  I’ve been drinking this puerh since ’16.  It started out very pepperminty and now has advanced to the vaunted . . . well, it the gaiwan actually there no “vaunt” of any sort.  This was quite surprising because I’d never had a bad session with it.  This was why I knew it was the brewing vessel and not the puerh production itself.

Brewing Imperial Roots in my bell pepper blue clay pot rendered the perfect puerh experience.  Those just starting out might feel that the attention given to teaware is kind of a put on, but it isn’t.  There’s a mysterious alchemy that occurs between leaf and clay.  For some reason, this commingling detracts from young puerh but for old it has the opposite effect.

Bell Pepper Pot with the ’01 GM Puerh

One thing, clay adds volume.  Think of hair mousse.  With young productions, volume isn’t an issue because as with anything young you know it lacks experience.  You’re generally looking for vivaciousness and and purity.  When something you know to be older lacks depth, the experience quickly falls flat because you’re looking for the complexity.  The gaiwan will generally do a poor job of unveiling this complexity.

A treasure like Imperial Roots needs brewing in clay.  It’s not optional.  It doesn’t have to be the fanciest clay by a long shot, but it is essential.  All of the attributes that make it a pleasure only come out in clay.  We’re talking about the sweetness, thickness, mineral notes, the camphor, and yes the vaunted vanilla and root beer.  I cringe at the prospects of someone brewing it in a gaiwan– positive sacrilege!

Just some additional observations about Imperial Roots puerh here in April 2020.  All of the peppermint candy of previous years is gone.  All of the notes are a good octave lower than what they used to be.  This production is trending in an unmistakably desirous direction.

Puerh Tea Report 2020

Posted on by Yang-chu
12 Mar

As the new puerh tea begins to hit the market, it might be interesting to reflect upon recent developments, so here it is your Puerh Tea Report 2020.  Naturally, items and factories in the Puerh Junky’s stash will be the focus.  Ripe puerh will be given a bit of attention, with the bulk on raws.

Ripe Puers

The year 2019 had the Puerh Junky bidding a fond farewell to the ’06 Boss Tuo, an item that scored highly on every count.  I’m furiously searching for its replacement, something with the same explosive camphor notes and sweetness, along with a the deep tones of humid storage.  It’s larger brother with the same name doesn’t hold a candle to it; storage plays such a critical role in the expression of a production that it is usually impossible to tell that the same material under different conditions are actually the same.

Anyway, Xinghai (XH) and Zhongcha (ZC) have formed the backbone of the ripe stash.  Surprisingly, the Silver Peacock, XH has held relatively stable, with older productions, say before ’14, rising in price rather incrementally compared to ZC’s 7581 brick, which is now about three times the ’16 price.  Interestingly, the Lunar series has averted the frenzy, so constitute a relatively good value.  After years of being virtually overlooked, the ’06 “55” has started an advance.  This is ZC’s (aka CNNP/KMTF’s) best ripe production.  I expect that this will be the last year that it will be available from any vendors on the Chinese side.

Aside from these two factories, another general observation concerns ripe bamboo productions.  To wit: bamboo ripe productions have appreciated considerably more than ripes as a whole.  Puerh Junky has one ripe bamboo offering that is exceptionally clean and bright, with hints of humidity and cinnamon.

Raw Puerhs

The world of raw puerhs has been more dynamic.  Generally, it seems the smaller productions like tuo, bricks, and small cakes have averted the frenzy of cakes.  Since ’16 ZC’s new offerings have been handsomely priced.  One exception has been the Lunar Series but that looks to have come to an end this year, with about an 70% increase in price over last year.  The weird thing is that the older productions, those that can be found, are still priced along earlier lines.

Factories like LME (Lao Man E) and GPE (Gu Puerh) have held steady, so they constitute relative steals.  The only exception is ’07 Hideout, which in just one year appreciated more than 200%.  A more than reasonable alternative to it is the 2008 Gift Puerh, which has the same sweetness and camphory goodness.  Up until this year, there were still quite a number of very good Tulin productions that were plain ole cheap, but not so much anymore.  Oh well.

Though there may be exceptions, the scene with LM (Liming), YPH (Yangpin Hao), and 6FTM (Six Famous Tea Mountains) has been hawt to say the least.  YPH prides itself as a top-tier purveyor of Yiwu productions.  Prices for their older  productions (before ’12) have essentially trebled in the past year and a half.  For those keen on the Yiwu Zen vibe do not seem to have been deterred.  I must confess that much about brand is going into the pricing, as I find productions like the ’07 LME Spring Puerh every bit as tasty if not more so.   Some LM productions have consistently been favoured by collectors, but there are still plenty that are quite tasty priced quite reasonably, in the $55-$75 range.  Newer productions, however, are now in the ZC range.

As for 6FTM, well it isn’t a factory that I pay much heed to, with the exception of their Lunar Series.  This is because I’m not the craziest about Fengqing puerhs.  That said, I did take a liking to the their Lunar Series for their v. fancy wrappers.  Others have been very keen on the big taste and a big qi that’s made believers of even the greatest of qi skeptics.  Anyway, this series has turned out to be of great interest to collectors and as a result even the late productions like the Ram and Snake are now sold at near 10 times their original sale price– if you can find them.  The ‘05 Jingmai “003” is actually on par in terms of ferocity and qi at a fraction of the 6FTM Lunar Series prices.  The factory that makes the “003” specializes in very aggressive productions not altogether dissimilar from LM’s cakes.  However, the raw material seems even better.  The ’10 Tiger, for example, which sold out this year showed remarkable transformation from when it was first acquired.  It ripened from a bright pineapple-like monster into a husky root beer in the first two infusions before gradually fading into its original greenness.

Enough with the nostalgia for now.   Hope you find this missive somewhat helpful as you continue your own puerh tea pursuits.

Cheers,

PJ.

 

Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day V

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Dec

For the final day of the Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge, I reached for Kunming TF’s “55“.  What can I say but that Day V was definitely the best.  First of all, the camphor notes sounded more resolutely.  The tannic attributes quite common to the 55 were not detected.  The brew comes out very round and sweet.  It compared quite favourably to the Boss Tuo in regards to the sweetness, fullness, candy like qualities along with a sparkling clarity and redness of hue.

By day three, I had begun to do the test using a porcelain and a clay cup.  There is a qualitative difference between the two.  The porcelain has a rounder quality which is more muting, whereas the clay is the opposite more amplifying.  The clay enhances minerality and can be the difference maker for a brew that might otherwise taste flat from gaiwan brewing.

I can see the virtues of brewing ripe puerh in a gaiwan depending upon one’s preferences.  I prefer clay because it produces a fizzier brew with more depth, something necessary for optimal appreciation of Xinghai productions like the Silver Peacock.  The notable exception was how the 55 performed, which was nothing short of stellar.

Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day IV

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Dec

For day IV of the Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge, I reached for the ’14 Macau Puerh Brick.  Whereas I felt that the gaiwan muted the vegetal notes of the ’07 Mushroom Tuo, those same notes seem ever more present in the Macau Puerh Brick.

The gaiwan effect for this ripe puerh doesn’t seem as noticeable as with some of the previous samples.  Even after revising this production the following day I didn’t catch much change.  There is no pushing the Macau Puerh Brick beyond any acceptable point.  The aftertaste is long and vegetal.  There are no deep or humid notes detectable.  The glass vibe might be the most prevailing attribute.

Riper Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day III

Posted on by Yang-chu
23 Dec

For the Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day III I chose the ’06 Black Brew Tuo.  I had it with a patient.  We both found it dreadful.  The taste was flat and gave the impression of puerh that had been stored in conditions that were too dry.  We only got through two infusions before moving on to some raw puerh.  At the very end of the second I brought out the clay cups and that made a positive difference.  Several hours later, I decided to give it another try and it was much improved.  The brew had depth and sweetness, more closely resembling its traits when brewed in clay.  The aftertaste didn’t last so long.

Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day II

Posted on by Yang-chu
21 Dec

For the Riper Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day II, I reached for the ’07 Mushroom Tuo Puerh.  Most notable are the mineral and clean dirt notes.  The aftertaste faded rather quickly.  The gaiwan revealed that the Mushroom Tuo might have been stored at the very driest edge of humid storage.  Sweet without the impression of a certain vegetal quality I pick up with clay.

Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge Day One

Posted on by Yang-chu
21 Dec

It’s damn cold these past few days so I’m going with ripe puerh more than usual.  It dawned on me that perhaps a ripe puerh gaiwan challenge was in order.  For the next five days, I figure to sample some ripes and offer my impressions.  We’re starting with the ’07 Silver Peacock, XG.

The ’07 Silver Peacock, XG is already a very Zen ripe puerh.  Brewing in the gaiwan mutes a certain zing imparted by the clay.  At the same time, certain fruit notes that have been remarked upon by others was more evident.  The most surprising aspect of the experience was the contrast between the Zen broth and the strength of the lingering aftertaste, which is deeply satisfying and calming.  The experience seemed lighter than in my clay pot.

 

Update II: 07 Peacock Puerh Cake

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Oct

Alas, it seems only a month ago I reviewed the ’07 Peacock, ZC.  I wanted to see how it was doing after the span of the the summer.  You can gander the review here.  The root beer notes that I mentioned have intensified.  This taste isn’t for the initial infusions anymore either.  Root beer has permeated the taste.

Zen Puerhs

The ’07 Peacock puerh used to be a Zen production.  The taste used to be gentle, soft, and evocative of misty clouds with a bit of Wheaties.  It is hard to conceive of how such a taste can transform into what it is now.  There isn’t much astringency.  Even beyond the root beer tastes of roots and vanilla is some bitterness.  There are are even pronounced floral notes which could easily be mistaken for being in the original profile– which couldn’t be further from the truth.  The zing of “puerions” on the tongue indicates top quality material.

Such night-and-day transformation of the raw material usually points to productions hailing from the Yiwu region.  That would be my best guess for the Peacock.  Yiwu puerhs are known to get better with age, a truism that I took to be more folklore than fact.  It is still quite difficult to get my head around how something ever so subtle in taste could change so remarkably only through aging.

Not all Zen puerhs, it should be noted, make this type of transformation.  Not all Yiwu offerings will transform into a zingy, rooty, vanilla melange of sweet with a splash of bitter nectar.  Some rather old YPH productions, for example, only begin to taste old or clean-old.  They never exhibit that particular zing.  One exception is the Glee.    I do not know if this is attributable to processing or terroir.  Others that do not transform is due to less than ideal quality.  This points to both soil quality and tree age.  Older trees have a more extensive root system drawing more minerals from the soil.

Peacock Puerh Photos

Autumn ’19 Infusion 6 and 7

Different Angle of Peacock Puerh

A couple times people have asked a question that suggests that they believe that “Peacock” is a particular puerh type.  It isn’t.  Peacocks are just an icon popular among the puerh producing tribes of Yunnan.