Tag Archives: ccnp

’07 Bada(zz), CNNP

Posted on by Yang-chu

The ’07 Bada(zz) arrived in April ’18.  It’s already changed quite a bit from a mainly minerally taste to minerals and old daisies.  The taste is quite similar to ’05 Glee, with similar astringency though possibly sweeter.  The after taste of rocky sweetness hangs on in the mouth for quite a spell.

In contrast to the ’12 Cherry Blossom, there are no smoky notes to the Bada(zz).  I recently visited the Cherry Blossom and I notice quite a bit of green apple in there too.  There’s no hint of any fruit in the Bada(zz).  Maybe the aroma is a bit fruity but it strikes more like honey.

Another similarity with ’05 Glee is the taste of grains, evocative of Wheaties.  This is only evident in productions that have a few years under their belt.  It seems like there may be some camphor notes trying to sneak through, something to watch for as it continues to age.

A final curiosity is that this cake bucks the trend of the time toward extreme pressing, unlike the ’07 LME Spring Puerh, which must have set a record for compression density.  Even though the Bada(zz) is pressed densely, it’s not excessive and the material flecks of with relative ease.

Oh yeah, this is Mt. Bada material.  Possibly only the second I’ve tried by name.

Woolen Sweater Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
23 Jun

The ’05 Green Mark has a bit of a petrol and deep forest vibe and is one of the few humid-stored raws in the collection.  Did I say raw?  It isn’t.  It is a raw-ripe blended puerh, so the color is much darker than most raws you’ll encounter this age.

I find myself coming to’05 Green Mark quite often.  The humidity is welcoming.  The after taste is of flowers and petrol, with saccharine and astringent notes.  The flowers aren’t evident in the broth, rather you get smoke, leather, and petrol.  I’m pretty sure that this is what the crew on Ahab’s ship drank when sailing in the North Sea.

The aroma is addictive: camphor, smoke and intermingle giving a woolen-sweater effect.  The camphor dances about with the with the saccharine.  It’s not honey or maple or agave, as right on the edge of sweetness is bitterness.

All of the richness of taste is balanced by a broth that could possibly thicker.  There are some slight vegetal notes that you might be able to pick out and the qi won’t bowl you over.  Still it possesses a notable phlegm cutting quality.

This offering is under CNNP, but it does not come from one of the big three.  This wrapper has wide use in the puerh universe.