Tag Archives: puerh tea

Spring Ripe Puerh Taste Off

Posted on by Yang-chu
19 May

In a fictitious land far away, Spring Ripe Taste Off takes place yearly at the time of the May sumo tournament.  This year the taste-off has been configured such that for four consecutive days four different ripe puerhs will be sampled side-by-side.  The winners from each of the four days will advance to the championship round.

Ripe Taste-Off Day 1

  • ’11 Peacock Gold, Fuhai
    Roasty.  Lustrous.  Minerally.  Cacao.  Solid intro to ripe puerh: not funky, not fruity, not requiring thought or effort.  Medium density.
  •  ’06 “55,” Zhongcha
    Camphor ( aka “minty”), petrichor, red-hots, incense, strong qi. Sweet.  Complex.
  • ’05 Haiwan Wild Mt, Haiwan
    Strawberries-n-cream, light body, moderate sweetness, no bitter, splendid clarity.  Nice qi. Neifei coolness.
  • ’14 Puerh Espresso
    Rich, chocolately, dense, heady.

Each pot contained 10.5g tea, but brew times were as seen fit.  No point system or anything, just drinking experience.  The 55 come out on top with two drinkers agreeing that it was best.  We were divided on all the rest.  The density of the Puer Espresso unquestionably was strongest and its qi frankly too extreme.  Haiwan was softest and of lightest body, while the Peacock Gold being most middle of the road.

It worth noting that 55 is a light-ferment production, most evidenced by its slow transformation, lack of sweetness, and wicked astringency, making it more like a black tea.  In many regards, it could be evaluated by the same standards of a raw puerh.  However, after turning 15 it started to show its promise.  The second buying of this production came from a Henan seller who had it stored under rather desiccated conditions.  After some LA lovin’ imparting petrichor depth, this dry layer has transformed to incense, also no doubt aided by the wealth of gold buds.

Puerh Junky’s Xinghai Perseverations

Posted on by Yang-chu
04 Feb

Puerh Junky’s Xinghai Perseverations is the catchy phrasing yours truly came up with to capture the past ten days, which are very much like all the other.  The Puerh Junky is sitting upon a massive load of Xinghai productions, acquired mostly in the past two years.  The past ten days had the Puerh Junky visiting at least four Xinghai TF productions.  Xinghai has a resolute house style with astringency being its key trait, elements of apple of various expression often thrown in.  They adhere to strict processing before ’07 and thereafter begin to ease into more of the new style with reserve.  This to say that their new processing is very skillfully executed. In ’22 Xinghai celebrated their 20th anniversary, but they were bought out in ’18 and no offering after ’16 has me interested.  In this Junky’s Log we’ll visit BZ Wild King, Oasis Odyssey, Naka bamboo, and HK Returns 10th.

BZ Wild King

The BZ Wild King is the late 2nd batch offering from an unimaginably expensive production.  It’s the people’s offering.  As mentioned, the earlier second batch is not time-stamped but this is.  In this latest session of winter ’24 the smoke was far more evident than in most sessions.  I noticed a similar smokiness in the Bulang Shengtai Tribute.  Previous sessions only presented with the smoke once.  I presume that that smoke might become more pronounced.  Stunner is the sweetness and a heretofore novel creaminess totally unknown to Xinghai offerings.  It’s shockingly friendly for Xinghai given the sweetness and cream.  There’s a familiar star anise note that often visits productions from XH specifically and the region in general.

Oasis Odyssey

Oasis Odyssey came into the collection in the early part of ’23 as part of the XH obsession.  It’s on the Xinghai Raw page listing.  Initial tastes indicated need for restoration with an already unmistakable “purple” quality.  As it has come into form, more of the characteristic XH astringency has presented itself.  Let’s be clear, Xinghai is astringent, often punishingly so.  Oasis Odyssey is atomically compressed and there’s zero humidity in the flavour, though it completely reflects proper KM storage,  coolish and dry.  Solid everyday drinker for those favouring astringency.  Seems less oily than it was previously.  This may come back as the weather warms.  The Chinese name actually references a top-tier tribute series that seems to come out on a yearly basis with a different wrapper, but this cake doesn’t endeavor to reach such heights, probably because it’s second batch or later.  Pricing is 100% honest in this regard, a solid intro to XH astringency but the characteristic apple hasn’t come through just yet.  .

Naka Bamboo

The Naka Bamboo will have to sit a bit.  It didn’t come in bamboo and the compression is also atomic.  It doesn’t express characteristic Naka traits in terms of cucumber and perfume.  It didn’t come into reserves till Nov ’23 and it will need at least a year to justify the price paid for it.  Although Xinghai does sometimes venture beyond its primary terroir featuring some prominent Yiwu for instance, this Naka may be a kind of one off.  Needs more time, unlisted.  Right now has an interesting sticky rice note and very interested to see how the initial bamboo stage contributes to a marvelous production.

HK Returns 10th

The HK Returns 10th has been tasted often.  It is also on the Xinghai raw page.  The newest progression is of incense with grapefruit.  Previously described as the Xinghai workhorse, it has taken on a much more interesting character.  It’s in a new stage with previous character still expressing.  Transformation traits are expressing along a promising trajectory with decent with a moderate level of sweetness but an oft highly regarded grapefruit/pumello note.  Not particularly bitter.  Huigan forward.

Wrap Up

Puerh Junky’s Xinghai perseverations continue in large part because beyond offering decent value, it continues to demonstrate promise in underlying material and transformational potential.  Seasonality brings out different attributes in performance, thence this Junky’s Log.  The BZ Wild King showed a smokiness heretofore unknown.  Oasis Odyssey has showed more sassy astringency.  HK Returns 10th expresses a layer of incense along with its grapefruit.  Cannot say much about the Naka Bamboo, but it’s good to know about the stages involved before a production gets listed.  The BZ Wild King and HK Returns were both the most surprising, the smoke and cream with the former and then incense with the latter.  Those keen on aggressive style will need to look no further than XH at this stage of the game.

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.

Week ‘O Liming Aug ’23

Posted on by Yang-chu
12 Aug

Week ‘O Liming Aug ’23 took on three Liming offerings: ’05 Peacock Country, ’11 Jade Rabbit, and ’07 Golden Elephant.  Let’s not dally and get right down to it.

’05 Peacock Country Morning Light

The Peacock Country Morning Light is a production that has been in the Puerh Junky’s possession since around ’16.  It appears that around ’21 Liming released another cache onto the market, so it can be sourced from numerous vendors probably with marginal differences in storage since they’re all coming from the factory.  There’s a reason why so many have picked up the PCML. . . it’s fantastic.

Watching the evolution of the PCML has been a fascinating experience.  From the “early days”, Puerh Junky found it basically undrinkable: too sharp, tippy, no sweetness.  Every year’s sampling elicited the same response while it’s price climbed before completely disappearing from the landscape by ’19. In ’21 it had completely transformed into a much darker and serious brew: sweet tobacco, leather, durable.

Now raspberry is the prevailing PCML theme along a background of tobacco, maybe some smoke, a bit of leather.  This theme continues throughout the experience with the tobacco diminishing as you go and the raspberry crowding out all other players.  It’s one of the best productions under $90 that you’ll get for a cake this age.

’11 Jade Rabbit

“Guabei” is the Chinese term for when all the good stuff from a tea coats the pitcher and cup.  Jade Rabbit’s most noteworthy feature is that it guabei.  The taste for the first five infusions is ultra Zen, quite a contrast from when first acquired in ’22 and being Bulang material.  Subsequent infusions darken up, while getting bitter and losing sweetness.  Young?  Not really, but this is typical of productions that have more years of storage to go.  So far, storage is solid.  Too much of the wrong kind of bitter at the moment.  No astringency to speak of.  Doesn’t dry the mouth.  Hint of smoke in later infusions.  Jury still out.

’07 Golden Elephant

The Golden Elephant’s crowning virtue is its high drinkability.  Puerh Junky just pulled it down at the time of writing this post to make out like the week was Liming replete.  Broth is fruity and light, whimsical.  Huigan leaves a slight measure of bitterness with a fruitiness that matches broth coating the mouth.  Seems like it would be perfect for a beginner or a child.  One dimensional like single terroirs, quite fitting given the cartoonish wrapper.  It’s not meant to be taken seriously.  Doesn’t dry the mouth and it’s not too sweet.  The bitter finish isn’t shabby and it’d prolly make an excellent cold brew.

Week ‘O Liming Wrap-up

Puerh Junky’s prolly been meaning to getting around to posting the Peacock Country for six months now.  There’s a sample that can be found over on the Sampler page, along with the highly regarded Peacock Brick, Rabbit and a few others.  PCML lasts considerably longer, like forever, brewed in gaiwan.  I have maybe two or three on hand for $89 if you want to email.  Just a reminder about free shipping on all orders over $75.

I notice from the description of the Rabbit that the taste profile has shifted from fruity playful to Zen.  Both it and the Elephant were Liming pings to determine whether more should be acquired.  So far, I’d say they’re “ok” but not as compelling as their OG Square, which has an entirely different personality, and The Collection offerings like the Tulin Tuo and the Dragon Pearls, which are jovial with lot’s of body, sweetness, and stamina.

 

Xinghai Tea Factory Aiyaaa

Posted on by Yang-chu
15 Nov

Xinghai Tea Factory Aiyaaa momentarily gripes about food stamps.  Well, technically date stamps or the lack thereof.  Liming is bad with stamping but Xinghai is the worst.  By ’08 the problem seems to have been remedied, but between ’04-’07 the stamp situation is a disaster.

It’s not uncommon for wrappers to indicate checking either the neipiao or neifei for time stamp.  It may say check neipiao but the stamp will be on the neifei.  Quite often there is no stamp at all. On top of that is a situation where the neifei isn’t really even a part of the cake.

Well, after watching this video where the stamp was clearly absent from a neifei that looked to me as though it should have been stamped, a rant was in order.  You’re witnessing that now.  The Puerh Junky’s wife did as well.  The quandary was clear: why aren’t they stamped?  The easy response is they’re fakes.  But if it’s fake, why not go the whole nine to ensure you’re pulling one over?  Enough has already been made of just how much the fake card is overplayed.  I suspected, perhaps pilfering at the place of employ.  Ambitious employees may opt to try their hand at entrepreneurship.  Possible, but perhaps not likely.  Finally, the heavens opened.

Puerh Dating Quandary Solved

If dateless productions are not fake or the result of sly employees’ pilfering, what would dateless offerings be communicating to buyers?  “IT’S THE BATCH STUPID,” to quote a famous politician.  With some of the big time factories where collecting constitutes a significant part of the market, the first batch is that which is coveted.  Batches of the same production must be differentiated from the first in order to maintain the first’s “rarity” and value, thus the absence of a date stamp and presence of quirky anomalies with the wrapper.

What kind of quirks?  Well, for example, the first batch (pictured above) of what Puerh Junky calls the ’05 Xinghai Green Mark (the real name is just too generic, no wait is Menghai Qizibingcha generic?) bears a faded green seal, whereas the second batch seal is much more vivid. . . and lacks a date stamp.

In another example, the second batch of the Bulang Old Tree has the identical wrapper but is stamped “特制青饼” and lists with a different Xinghai production name on the reverse specs.  One vendor actually had all three versions of the wrapper, one having simplified characters, but only the first batch bearing the time stamp and being twice the price of the other two.

Stamped Second Batch

Xinghai Not So Chaotic

So Xinghai Tea Factory is not so chaotic.  It like Liming and a few others have a method to their date-stamp-free madness.  There’s a measure of coolness to such a practice.  It reflects just how seriously the factory takes itself, the exact opposite of chaos.

 

Puerh Junky Visits Thick Zen 2022

Posted on by Yang-chu
08 Nov

Puerh Junky Visits Thick Zen 2022 continues the saga surrounding one of the plethora of Zhongcha’s ’07 offerings looked at askance by puerh snobs too smart for their own good.  The Puerh Junky has written about the Thick Zen on numerous occasions and now, alas dear reader, we’re at the point where due to forces beyond his control Thick Zen has outlived its name.

Thick Zen continues to evolve.  Zen is more of an afterthought.  There’s all this tartness in it now, picking up in intensity.  As of Nov 2022, there’s orange spice bitter fusing with its Zen past, not terribly sweet but dreadfully interesting.  The shift with the season is magical.  The  once-lauded Yiwu vibe is about one quarter present, as bitterness and sour take the drinker to the Menghai zone, a nice Menghai not trying to intimidate but at the same time comfortable with being itself.  The qi numbs the entire face, makes you feel as though you had a halo beginning at the shoulder.  I read that the a ’21 production by the same name comes from Lincang, entirely possible with here.

Thick Zen is egregiously undervalued given just how dynamic the material is.  The persistent perception that ’07 productions are bad is gradually starting to lift.  The year ’07 witnessed a speculative blowout and specifically an administrative restructuring at Zhongcha that had zero to do with anything related to tea.  Somehow, word on the street became ’07 offerings could not be drunk.  This absurdity turns out to be a fortune for the value hunter.  Thick Zen is value amidst value, highly representative of the KMTF processing style, and over time far more engaging than most any other puerh.

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.

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.