Tag Archives: midagedpuerh

Lemon Swimmin’

Posted on by Yang-chu
08 Oct

Lemon Swimmin‘ is a catchy title describing a couple raw productions drunk recently, LME Early Spring, and Tiger Tuo, LCGC.  The two have some differences despite swimmin’ in lemon.  In the following passage, lets’ take a look at the storage parameters, some tea factory highlights, and taste features just for fun.

Storage

The LME Spring came into the cave sometime in ’23, a re-upping from a batch acquired around ’18.  It resides in the bazhong box along with other LME productions.  Weather conditions in ’24 were cooler than previous years.  Hydrating started imparting an undesired heavy aroma, so since around May items have been stored sans any hydration.  It drank very well straight from storage.

The Tiger Tuo sat out for about 15 days, also a re-upped offering this time acquired around early ’21 and originally in late ’15.  Dry-stored, this tuo has been consumed from the “for the ready” fridge.  Transformation has been conservative due to the very moderate temps the last few years.  Drinking directly from the fridge doesn’t do it justice, particularly coming at sweetness’ expense.

Company

As the name indicates, LME specializes in Menghai, Banzhang material.  All of their neipiao (inner ticket) from this era are identical, indicating BZ, Bulang, and Nannuo material.  Differences standout despite neipiao genericness.  LME stands for Laoman’e a mountain/terror not far from the BZ area and is known for being especially bitter.  Just for clarity, LME here refers to the brand, though it is often just a reference to the terroir.  This brand has a very solid reputation in terms of raw and ripe productions.

LCGC designates Lancang Ancient Tea.  They specialize in Jingmai and Jingmai blended productions.  Since about ’18 their reputation for ripes has far surpassed their raws.  Interestingly, they use their best material in crafting tuo.  The factory is a woman-owned private enterprise, with origins going back to the late 60s at the height of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Taste

LME Spring previously tasted of old chrysanthemum.  For reasons possibly relating to age or storage, lemon swims presently.  Without being piercing, the taste is bright and cheerful, evocative of Lemon Heads but nowhere as sweet.  Fruit is a characteristic stage of many raws, but transitioning from old flowers to lemon is a new discovery.  Chances are that this lot received lighter storage than the previous, possibly never undergoing a chrysanthemum stage.

Tiger presents an interesting study in the evolution of a bright pine and pineapple-y tuo into lemon.  Weather plays such a huge role along with storage in the expression at any given time.  A previous entry notes root beer expression from a few years of very warm weather.  This most recent iteration is characterized by lemon-wood-petrol, with nice sweetness edged by unabashed bitterness.  The personality is darker than the LME Spring, though the broth is lighter.

Wrap-Up

Lemon Swimmin‘ features two raw productions possessing strong lemon traits.  LME Spring is new to the lemon party, while Tiger Tuo has always possessed some citrus-esque attributes.  Both are re-acquisitions from previous fairly conservatively stored conditions in Mainland.  Both are lemon swimmers, but LME Spring’s bright nature evokes childhood lemon, while the Tiger’s wood and petrol combine to spin a more complex yarn.

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.

There Must Be a Bada Way 2023

Posted on by Yang-chu
28 Jun

There Must Be a Bada Way 2023 finds the Puerh Junky in unusually high spirits, as Los Angeles has been sunny and blue.  Soft trade winds blow in from the Pacific and the stash is blossoming.  It’s been a long cold spell and most of the Collection decided to hibernate through it.

One orphan that took advantage of the cold was the ’08 Orange Mark by Everlasting TF, based in Shenzhen.  They do an oft-mentioned production offered through an English-language vendor based in HK.  The storage so overwhelmed me, I thought to try one of Everlasting’s under their own label from a vendor I’d already gotten some very solid Xinghai ripes.  In Feb 23 the production was very, very humid but the taste was not rotten or green.  After three months it was spectacular: sweet and camphory with the storage not being flawlessly executed.

The ’05 Bulang Wild Big Tree seems virtually impervious to huge changes.  Another treasure with marvelous storage to go along with a smoky-mouthwash-y taste and nose.  This Fuhai production could possibly be crowned champion of Gloom ’23.

So much for the past when the present is much Bada?  Well, not so much, only two cakes left forever.  A different hydration scheme has been affect, which itself is affected by the weather.  The change is toward more hydration of the Zhongcha box.  It’s hard to say but the ’04 Orange Mark was much more aromatic and expressive of the “Circus Peanut” orange that had drawn me.

Today was Bada Peacock‘s turn.  I ended up a 12.5g chunk from the center of the cake which couldn’t be broken or needled any smaller without risking personal injury.  I threw it in my largest gaiwan, maybe 175ml.  The first infusion was about five minutes and the second about three 15m later.  A seriously compressed cake.  These first two had a muffled quality.  It’s stored in plastic.  By the third another 15m I could work it open into three slightly separated parts.

Of course, these specs are based purely upon density.  It would be insane to brew 12 plus grams under normal circumstances and brewing it for so long would require a great deal of diluting to salvage.  Not opening virtually guarantees that the full character will not come through.  At the same time, crumbling chunks apart goes overboard, especially with tuo which are meant to diffuse more slowly.

The full character comes through with the Bada.  The nose on the is vanilla and brown sugar and the texture velvet smooth with a layer of subtle yet extremely complex broth that coats the mouth in light-brown sugar and a subtle accent of wintergreen.

Earlier in the year Bada Peacock certainly didn’t have the dynamism it has now.  Now it’s the best it’s ever been.  There’s a puzzling metallic note that has never left but now it’s only in the huigan and several minutes later, but it lingers, making you think of what you just drank, adjusting your tongue in your mouth and detecting afternotes on the exhale.  The qi was noticeable in the first two infusions.  Stopped after 3 rounds in order to share, but the thought did cross my mind to tap out.

 

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.

 

Puerh Junky Visits Ox, 6FTM

Posted on by Yang-chu
12 Aug

Puerh Junky Visits Ox, 6FTM forms part of an on-going saga.  Perhaps the Ox has occupied more digital space than any of the other 6FTM Lunar Series offerings.  It made a quick cameo in a recent post on leaves, occasioning this update.  It’s included in the Six Famous Tea Mountain sample set of Sampler U and is also one of the few samples available from the 6FTM Lunar Series.  Enough with the preliminaries. . .

Flash Rinse

A total of 5.5g were placed in my 150ml slow-pour zisha teapot reserved for floral productions.  Compared with previous experiences, the Ox appears to have turned the corner in two regards: humidity and sweetness.  The humidity has now taken a significant backstage.  Even though one can detect the humidity, it is obvious that the microbial vibe is significantly less than what it was previously.  This concept is known as tuicang, though no intentional effort was made to retreat the humidity.  This is just the product of normal LA storage, no tinning or nuthin’ was involved.

Infusions 10 and 11? One minute soak.

Concomitant with humidity’s retreat arises sweetness heretofore absent.  It’s quite interesting how the sharper attributes have all softened with the emergence of the sweetness.  It’s not sugary sweet but it is sweet and mellow with a subtlety and character of a production that has been carefully aged.  Elegant and refined.

The huigan is stellar, evoking a sense of a sweet flower like honeysuckle.  If you know what you’re tasting for, you’ll find an interesting expression of the Fengqing terroir which was much more noticeable at an earlier stage and tends to be the overriding character with the Pig and Rat.  Most all Yunnan black teas (hongcha) hail from Fengqing.  That’s the note.  Now this note is much more inconspicuous, more in harmony with the Hekai and Jingmai material.

 

Two different angles of light demonstrate the marked differences in the same production at the same time of day.

The Ox presently at an early old stage, where most of the youth has aged out while the sweetness has emerged.  More intense brewing will give a bit of astringency on the tongue but the real gem is the floral huigan.  More intense brewing also magnifies the huigan.  Perhaps the qi to this is relaxing.  It certainly didn’t inhibit sleep as it was drink right before bed.  It’s fair to say that the Guangdong storage has taken a bit from the qi side of the production.

Heavier stored productions that leave a taste of the tea and not the effects of storage are very highly regarded by the Puerh Junky.  Needless to say that the transparency ranks highly as well.