Tag Archives: puerh tea

Visiting ’07 Thick Zen Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
26 Apr

The review I gave on the ’07 Thick Zen puerh is accurate.  Since offering it, I’ve had it many times.  It’s most striking attribute is how rich the leaves look.  Excellent storage, glistening in its black brownish splendor.  The liquor produces a decent thickness and there is little astringency to speak of… or sweetness… or flavor… or qi.

I was hoping the a little time would bring out some interesting flavours, but it doesn’t.  It is very much in the vein of the Blue Mark.  It can be brewed as heavy-handed as you wish and it will never get bitter.  There’s no bottoming out either.  That is to say, there’s no point at which Thick Zen looses its initial character or turns undrinkable.

Depending upon what you have it with or your habit for sweets, you may be able to detect some apricot sweetness.  I’ve definitely found the peacock more pleasing in warm weather.  If it had more qi, I’d classify it as an amazing production… possibly.  It’s lack of transforming into a more complex expression makes it a larger leaf, autumn Blue Mark: quintessentially Zen, quintessentially Lincang.  I find the 9611 Gold Ribbon more interesting.

 

 

 

Puerh and the Progression of Glee

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Jan

Glee is a production that entered the market in ’15 but was formed and pressed in ’05.  For those 10 years, rest assured it received the most conservative of Kunming storage conditions.  Previous reviews can be found here and here.  I thought I’d make a couple updated observations after having just visited it here in the new year of ’19.

  • Glee is getting sweeter.  It’s not knock-your-socks sweet, but it is pleasantly sweeter nonetheless.  There’s a bit of brown sugar in the aftertaste.  The broth itself has a tame honey sweetness.
  • The astringency is waning.  What used to be a remarkably astringent huigan is beginning to express much more moderately, even when pushed.  This astringency is a common trait among Yiwus, which is whence this production hails in all likelihood.
  • Camphor notes are emerging.  Mid-session, some surprising camphor notes are starting to make themselves known.  They are evocative of the ’07 HK Returns brick, though nowhere near as strong.

Did I mention, still looking quite gorgeous?

LM Square: Atomic Compression

Posted on by Yang-chu

’06 LM Square, 10th Infusion

The ’06 LM Square is a serious treasure that lasts forever.  The huigan is outstanding.  Its aroma is pleasant and noticeable.  Atomic compression.  Before going into this, let me relate a few thoughts about what I remember it to have been.

Liming productions can come with quite a bit of smoke.  I remember this square to be solidly representative: smoky, sweet, thick, and durable.  I didn’t think it lasted forever.  I hadn’t noticed the aroma or been of the impression that it was spring tea, which it is.  I can’t say that I noticed any light brown sugar, which is one of the pervasive themes from one infusion to the next.  The broth presently tastes like Wheaties.

Now about the atomic compression. . .  As a puerh genre, squares are most likely to be pressed into oblivion.  I have a Liming cake from ’05 also pressed to smithereens.  I do not crumble these productions.  I aim for one or two shards measuring between 8-10g.  The rinse is one minute at 208.  I let it sit for five minutes with the lid on.  Infusions 1-6 brew between 30-1m.  Rounds 7-15 according to your preferences.  208 is the ideal temp for certain.  If it seems too astringent lighten your hand, though this production is very kind to those brewing with a heavy hand.

The surprising thing is that given such compression, I would think that the smoke should still be prominent.  But it’s not.  The first part of the session has deep plum aroma and a light plum taste mixed in with the light brown sugar I mentioned above.  Later infusions reveal the underlying spring nature.

Bubble Gum Tiger Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Jun

I don’t know how it is that today I’m picking up notes of bubble gum in 10 Tiger Puerh, MK.  I’m getting it in the aroma and taste, along with angelica spiciness.  It’s Bazooka bubble gum, not “chewing gum” like Juicy Fruit.   The gan is instant with this raw puerh tea.   It is very sweet.  The aftertaste is sweeter, sugary like stevia.

There’s some bitterness in the broth, enough to give it an edge.  Previous sessions have typically conjured a sense of root beer.  The 10 Tiger MK is unmistakably herbal, not vegetal.  There’s no hint of green taste.  I keep thinking sassafras.  There’s much to be said for the moderate compression and decent warmth of the initial storage.  This is a color and taste well beyond its years by 6-10 years.  At the same time the brew has lost NO qi or flavor.

There’s some aggression to it.  It’s not passive aggression nor is it out of control.  Just letting you know it won’t be pushed around.  No smoke.  Maybe that bubble gum is flowers.  Maybe.  Little doubt this is Mengku material, like that weird cousin in the movies who grooves to the beat of jazz-inspired house, as opposed to, say, Chopin.  Maybe.

2008 Gift Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
22 Jun

Minerally, frothy, slightly humid, and sweet.  Has that solid Xia Guan quality which is never watery, evocative of a light root beer given the herbal notes.  There’s camphor in there too.  A well-crafted recipe. The 2008 Gift Puerh does not possess the characteristic Xia Guan smokiness, which makes it a drinking pleasure presently.