Puerh Junky Visits Marquis
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, MduGM 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.
