Tag Archives: zhongcha

Championship Round: Ripe Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
20 Jun

The Championship Round of the Ripe Puerh Challenge commenced on 14th June ’24.  Three contestants performed and that day, followed by the last two on the 15th.  Parameters for the championship round differed from the initial round in that 1) contenders sat out for about five days, 2) only two rounds drunk for each, with the second pushed considerably.  Initial round and championship round differed considerably.  In retrospect, all of the contenders reached the championship round in the first place because they performed best straight from storage.  This is to say that no production performed better than straight from storage.  This serves to reason as they all expressed stellar qualities to get them to the championship round in the first place.  This is not to say, however, that the duration for airing was too long.  For example, airing Merlot for only about 18 hrs dramatically increased its performance, while a cake (Hailanghao’s ’05 Jinseming) with an especially innovative fermentation approach on hand for 14yrs performed best it ever has after sitting out for more than two weeks.

Second, a pushed infusion doesn’t necessarily make for the most enjoyable drinking experience, though it does get to the innate character of the production.  Under ordinary circumstances, diluting or stacking of shorter infusions would have been in order.  Still, apprehending the innate character reveals more about the underlying material of the production itself.  Here, there’s no mistaking Yiwu with Menghai.

55, Zhongcha #1  Champion.

Zhongcha’s ’06 “55” commemorative continues evolving along a path of deepening sophistication.  Curiously, Baidu states that it is part of the 7581 series, which either seems wrong or raises more questions than it answers about what precisely “7581 series” constitutes.   No other 7581 is as populated with gold buds as the “55.”  One would think that “series” signals some established standard of material, fermentation, and other processing variables, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.  A previous entry discusses this.

Highlights: Bitterness, piney camphor, incense, cream, balanced sweetness, mushroom, cocoa deliciousness, big qi, cuts phlegm

Ripe Participants

  • Yiwu Commission, DQZ
    Creamy sweet, bitter finish, smooth, chocolate milk–> the second round push exhibited that Yiwu smoove, zero humid notes.
  • BZ Peacock King, LME
    Bitter!  Crazy clarity, dark chocolate then cream, piques salivation, icy-hot camphor, cotton mouth, light incense, cheeky–> would definitely have diluted second round.
  • Operation Macau, XH commission
    High camphor cream aroma, dry newspaper hint, slate, cream aftertaste, piques salivation; cream forward, camphor finish w/ mineral accent, bittersweet cacao, touch of roast, late aftertaste slight sour–> sweetest expression from first to second infusion by far.
  • Silver Peacock, XH
    Malty cream and roast, glass smooth, pecan, vanilla, bittersweet aftertaste–> even-Steven from first to second.

Ripe participants are probably listed in the order in which they placed, though personal preference increasingly trumps quality as they’re all good. Here’s a link to try for yourself.  Scroll down for “champions” selection. It consists of 16g of each participant.  The link will remain active till about 14th Jul ’24.

Spring Ripe Puerh Taste Off V

Posted on by Yang-chu
24 May

The evening prior to Spring Ripe Puerh Taste Off IV major domos (or is that doma) Ruan, Zhang, and Du met up for an evening repast of crawfish hotpot with lots of pea greens and limitless enoki.  The following day featured Mme Zhang’s third or fourth performance, while it would be the first for Mmes Ruan, of 6FTM, and Du.  They chatted some about the old days at Menghai TF but mostly the deliciousness of the enoki, the freshness of the crawfish, and nuance of the Sichuan-style broth.  If Domo Zhang appeared more relaxed than her compatriots, if she found the crawfish just a smidge juicier, then it no doubt could be attributed to her already having Operation Macau advance to championship round earlier in the day.  Day V uncertainties weighted in the minds of Domos Du and Ruan.  Let’s get down to the day’s action.

Spring Ripe Puerh Taste Off IV

  • ’02 Purple Mark, 6FTM
    Light cocoa, Tootsie roll, slight camphor, strong qi, super velvet mouthfeel.
  • ’06 T8371, Zhongcha
    Light oud, balance, hint of red hots, astringency, bitterness, petrichor, big aroma, cocoa, camphor, brut.
  • ’05 Yiwu Commission, Du Qiong-zhi
    Magical aroma in dry pot, bright, buttery, camphor, medium to light body, pine, not so sweet, noticeable qi presence.
  • ’08 Golden Tribute, Xinghai
    Lively dry aroma, bittersweet, cocoa, oreo cookie.

Occupying opposite extremes of dark chocolate bitter punishment are the Purple Mark and Golden Tribute.  Purple Mark is one of the oldest contestants, second only to Drury Lane.  They perform similarly.  Airing considerably improves performance.  Straight from storage, it’s a lot like flat pop, silkiness aside.  Golden Tributes ferocity in no way detracted from it’s performance, contending strongly for the top spot.  It’s currently not listed, only three on hand.

This brings us to the two commissions.  The T8371 holds distinction as being a HK commission.  Judging from the recipe numbers, it’s a slight variant of the classic 7581, key being its light fermentation.  This was T8371‘s heftiest performance, entering a new fermentation stage.  Not to sound like a broken record, but it needed some airing.  The plug-n-playability of productions often depends upon the season.  Each production has it’s own personality.  Every production came straight from storage.  No babying allowed.  It’s more than plausible that results would differ in another season.  The red hots note is new exciting addition to an already excellent performer.

Process of elimination leads to the Yiwu Commission as the winner.  Spring has treated this contestant most generously.  The complexity of flavours with all-enveloping camphor pleased all drinkers.  It held up throughout the day, while the Golden Tribute settled into less distinctive expression.  Through the course of five days of mostly drinking Menghai productions, the buttery Yiwu not formed quite an extravagant contrast.  Major Domo Du will be advancing to the championship round.

 

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.

Sound the Zhongcha Trumpets

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 May

4 May 2024 will forever be remembered as the day to Sound the Zhongcha Trumpets!  It has to do with the 600g ripe commemorative acquired around Christmas ’14.  The pic is above.  The reason for the trumpet sounding?  This monstrosity has finally come into form!

Just last year I thought to myself, “maybe it’s really just a lame offering that’ll never amount to much.”  The difference a few months can make.  My feeling about ZC’s Purple Sky is quite similar, though by now I should know better.  There’s a prevailing perception that ripes do not require aging.  It’s imprudent to make such a sweeping generalisation, as factors vary greatly from one production and batch to the next depending upon the conception of the maker.  ZC is probably most notorious for this, realistically providing an absolute max of five recipes but executing varying permutations of material quality, processing, and fermentation to derive “new” productions.  As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke. . . ”

The 60 has been tested religiously since its acquisition.  Less than 100g remain.  Every session till today has been “myeh”.  Some people like a dry brew, but dryness is an indication that the production hasn’t matured.  If the “55” serves as any basis for comparison, it seems even some of ZC’s raws take about 15 years before rounding into form, i.e., for the sweetness to come in and the tannins to impart richness as opposed to astringency.

A light bulb went off this morning.  The aroma is intensely roasty.  The brew itself requiring three-stacked infusions to reach the proper ratio of density to sweetness.  Such a deep vortex of roast and molasses-esque sweetness is evocative of LCGC and Boyou offerings.  Poof!  That’s where LCGC gets its “0081.”  Duh!  LCGC’s ’13 “0081” is scrumptious.  It’s their entry-level ripe that will soon be posted.  It is to such heights that this 60 has now climbed.

Not to be repetitive but 60 is a “7581,” but not all 7581s are equal.  Before delving further, it’s worth noting that 7581 is a standard-bearer among ripes.  In fact, it is considered one of the first, if not the first, “perfected” ripe recipe.  The “75” indicates the year of production.  The “8” indicates the size of the leaf forming the bulk of the recipe.  The “1” indicates the factory, Kunming Tea Factory, which since ’07 has been the principle entity holding the iconic Zhongcha (aka ChinaTea) trademark.  This recipe constitutes a conceptual tour de force, something now hard to imagine given that most ripes emulate this production style, a style epitomized by having navigated away from attempts at approximating aged puerh and tacking more toward the coffee vibe.

Incidentally, all of the ripe ZC Lunar/Zodiac series are 7581.  It’s fair to conjecture that this series provides the best opportunity to compare relatively recent 7581 vintages.  It’s certainly sufficient basis for mentioning in an ever-so-blasé manner among fellow tea tyrants, “but you know, the drought of _____ (insert year here) in Menghai really shortens the attack after the third infusion.”  Feel free to substitute “flood” for “drought.” Be creative, expositions needn’t be confined to just weather, but could also include religious, political or any other identitarian platitude of one’s choosing; the key is conviction.  Be forewarned. The jury is out on just how much puerh prominence one can possibly gain by talking 7581.  After all, it’s been crafted very much as being “the people’s” ripe.  It’s probably best to start such a conversation by noting thematic inconsistencies in the Zodiac/Lunar wrapper, finish with compression and leave it at that by circling back to talk about HK and Taiwan vendors.

In the past six months, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the ’12 7581 individually boxed brick, part of Ripe Sampler Group #1.  I picked up a slew around April ’15.  Tracking its transformation has formed the basis for a great education on the nature of ripes in general and the 7581 specifically.  Recently (since spring ’23), the brick started to take on some the berry notes often found in Hunan heicha.  There’s also a nice blend of creaminess.  After so much time, there’s a level of sweetness, roundness, and depth that just cannot be found in either a new or questionably stored brick of the same vintage. Yet satisfying as the brick may be, it is clearly comprised of more modest quality material than either the Snake or 60. . . or maybe it’s just that 2012 was an especially ordinary year.

Material quality does vary between cake, brick, and tuo, but there’s no consistent practice across factories.  ZC tends to be most recognized for their bricks, but as stated the ’12 brick doesn’t hold up to Snake nor 60. Curiously, the same year I picked up, unbeknownst to me, the first year Houde was offered.  An Instagram associate in HK recently posted some shots of his, so I gave Houde a visit after several-years’ hiatus.  Previous sessions where characterized as having a wretched cherry note and the lacking character of immaturity.  The recent session was actually quite pleasant, reminding me of that rotund gourmand extraordinaire.  Houde comes up because it’s from the same same year as the brick.  Houde is classed as an outstanding daily-drinker.  Productions from ’12-’16 are nowhere to be found in cake form but there are still some bricks around, which might indicate some batch variation.  Houde and the brick are in similar neighborhoods, with the former being slightly more durable.  Houde doesn’t approach the Snake or 60 either.  Tis time to circle back to 60 for now.

Whenever a treasure comes into form, a little fanfare is in order.  When it comes into form and is as good as the 60, then it’s positively time to sound the trumpets.  Pondering the finer points of 60 compared to 55 and Snake, both of the annual commemoratives were very tannic.  Befuddlement: recipes are highly guarded secrets.  At one time I would have said that by appearance alone that 55 was not 7581.  Filled with so many gold buds, “55” appears to be something else. . .  but for that matter every other 7581 is something else too, so it becomes extremely difficult to make any definitive calls even about what 7581 actually is.  The situation is complicated by storage variability, which is of incalculable importance.  Still, buds tend to make for a more tannic expression and for this reason alone it’s probably safe to assume that 55 is not 7581.  Another thing noticed about the 55 is that the qi seems to be getting more intense with the passing of each year, something not really noticed with the Snake, from which I’ve drunk much more parsimoniously.  After only a couple years the Snake appeared promising, in part because it wasn’t particularly tannic yet obviously already quite rich.  Frequent drinking would have only proven an indulgence at the expense of sampling productions about which there was less certainty in terms of it maturity and storage stability.  By Snake’s fifth year, through the fortune of plenty heat and humidity, a full explosion of petrichor and camphor emerged.

The 60 is victim of fairly stern compression, which in the long run may account for some of its splendor.  At 600g, size and compression mutually factor into the rate of transformation.  However, my cake has been drunk down to well less than 100g for over five years.  Interestingly, the 60 now is already much sweeter than the 55.  Blame it on 55‘s bud content. Naturally, not all recipes are crafted with the same sweetness in mind, as the delightful T8371 shows.  Conversely, 7581 should be unequivocally sweet and rich, barometers of maturity, storage, and quality.  By these measures, 60 has earned its trumpet, having not only become ready but also expressing some of the best that  7581 has to offer.

Recap

Ripes age.  The 7581 is a trailblazing ripe recipe, but not really meant to be expensive.  Nonetheless vintage, processing, storage, and age variability contributes to considerable variation in price.  Fermentation styles of ripes vary.  The maturation of 60 comes at year 14 of its evolution, which is roughly about the same amount of time required of 55.  Invariably, each offering has its charm.  The berry and cream in the ’12 brick stands in contrast to the dense petrichor and camphor of the Snake both have their place.  The 60, not for sale, is remarkably similar to the LCGC’s 0081, itself inspired by the ripe paragon, 7581.

Cheers!

Five Puerh (Im)Possibilities?

Posted on by Yang-chu
03 May

Puerh Junky got to thinking of Five Puerh (Im)Possibilities.  The title sounded nice, so why not just run with it?  They’re puerh musings upon offerings currently feeling neglected (CFN).  You see, most of the newer arrivals receive the bulk of attention. Listed puerhs have already gained storage stability, so attention naturally goes toward actively evolving items (AEI).  AEIs necessitate more drinking to ascertain their level of readiness.  It’s less about drinking for pleasure than for readiness.

So below, CFNs are given their day in the sun.  Many of these have been visited in the past 10 days (today is May 3, 2024).

’04 Uncle Creme Florale vs ’11 Creme Florale

Somewhere in an imaginary universe, Uncle Creme Florale and Creme Florale meet.  Unfortunately, poor Uncle had not been visited for the better part of a year (presently spring ’24).  It has always performed consistently, exhibiting a strong yet soothing presence.  Conversely, the nephew has been one of the better sellers.  A recent shipment necessitated adjudging relative differences in storage.  This latest iteration (Mar ’24) expresses a greater underlying humid character than the previous two.  It doesn’t reveal itself till after the fourth infusion.  Astringency is also greatly diminished, making for a far smoother drinking experience.  I got it at such a good price, I put it on sale.

The greatest difference between the two is that despite its chronological age, Uncle is younger. . .  not by a whole lot.  Both are super delicious.  The Uncle is shrouded in sultry vanilla. There’s also some anise with just a vintage Lily-of-the-Valley kiss coming emerging on the back end.  The sweetness level and the lasting vanilla in the mouth will make it your favourite Uncle for sure.  It’s now more  even more of what made it so delicious to start.  ’11 Creme Florale has matured greatly.  There’s more roundness and complexity in a humid orchid waltz.  MKRS vibrancy emerges with each infusion.  It’s starting to reflect attributes of the vaunted Tiger.

’07 Mincemeat vs ’07/’08 Water Blue Mark

Whereas PJ is less certain about the batch processing of Fuhai, maker of Mincemeat, at least the procedure for designating batch differences with Zhongcha (aka ChinaTea) maker of Water Blue Mark, is presumably understood.  The last tasting of both Mincemeat and ’08 WBM was shortly before the new year ’24, both being backorders from different but familiar vendors.  The vendor of the ’08 audaciously claimed “first batch” (charging as much), but only being second.  Pretty infuriating.  There’s a significant difference between batches and the only reason for venturing into ’08s in the first place was because first batch ’07s couldn’t be sourced.

Pouting aside, WBM ’08 is mossy, with camphor, hidden spice notes, and a lingering vanilla and minerality.  Durable, nice texture and sweetness, not garishly sweet.  It is nothing like the ’07 or Mincemeat.  The comments on astringency in the product description no longer apply.  It’s very balanced in this regard.  The descriptor “peat” is often used to describe a mineral, vegetal quality, “mossy” takes this expression another level altogether, lichens by a forest brook, if you will. Petrichor isn’t just for ripes anymore.  That’s the taste!  A seriously wet petrichor note, i.e. moss.  Vastly different from the ’07 and actually in the neighbourhood of the ’03 7536, Fuhai.The spice from Mincemeat is now more an afterthought, as either this batch or due to evolutionary forces it’s moved into the plum zone with a blend of wood and kerosene in the aftertaste.  There’s no pencil shavings and the kerosene simply constitutes a nice compliment to the plum.  Mincement continues to impress, though Puerh Junky cannot help but feel a bit wistful for the complex spice symphony it previously expressed.

If a Jade Mark Falls in the Woods. . . 

Would anybody buy it?  In the course of the never-ending shuffle and reconnaissance that is the Puerh Junky Cave, a single Jade Mark turned up.  Right about May ’24 marks its 10th anniversary.  It’s also included among the “Most Popular” sampler set.

What if the Silver Pekoe from Tulin, 6FTM, and MKRS had a Battle Royale?

Tales of the tape: Tulin ’06, 100g, tuo, Wuliang; 6FTM ’06, 357g, cake, Menghai; MKRS ’09, 150g, mini-iron cake, Mengku.
What on earth is “silver pekoe” anyway?  It’s the hairy buds, Igor.The Tulin and MKRS have very similar profiles, being dry-stored and packing a punch that many find appealing in terms of mouthfeel and aftertaste.  The taste itself is something PJ associates with dryer sheets, something “church lady” perfumy with fleeting hints of cantaloupe and maybe strawberry.  That fleeting berry is more notional in the MKRS.  The emphasis is church lady, with a fair measure of church-lady bitterness, and an impression that stays with you long after she’s left your presence.   This trait is an aspect of camphor, which when subjected to more heat and humidity orange-juice sourness before becoming explosively menthol-y (i.e., camphory).  MKRS isn’t listed yet but you’re welcome to ask.

The first two sips of the 6FTM initiates the qi response.  The 6FTM storage box is accessed less than any of the other, allowing for serious storage action to set in.  There an immediate mushroom note billowing from the gaiwan as the water is poured.  It’s not humidity.  It’s mushroom.  By the time the liquor is poured, honeysuckle billows from the pitcher.  The texture is light, the huigan intense, honeysuckle reverberating.  Very pleasant huigan, sweetness.  Cheese in the first infusion before assuming a more aggressive posture, thicker texture, more bitterness, much stronger floral force in the mouth with the mushroom singing harmony.

Last Orange Mark Standing

I wouldn’t call Orange Mark (BZ OG) citrus.  Citrus expresses varying degrees of florality and sourness.  Jade Mark, for example has expressed citrus notes and I often pick up grapefruit notes in various productions.  Orange Mark, on the other hand, is “orange” flavour.  After opening and sitting for about four hours the thickness is greater and the sweetness is at candy level, coating the tongue in orange-y sweetness.  There’s only one remaining.

Wrap-up

So there you have it.  The Currently Feeling Neglected (CFN) have had their chance to show their stuff.  The ’08 Water Blue Mark was definitely the biggest surprise, though hardly should have been complaining about neglect having only arrived in Nov ’23.  Perhaps had we been moving into autumn the Uncle would have beat it out.  The aged vanilla intensity is. . . intensifying.  Orange and Jade Marks and the Silver Pekoe, 6FTM strike this drinker as more in tune with the melody of spring.

Cheers!

March ’24 Puerh Musings

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Mar

March ’24 Puerh Musings must be prefaced by commentary upon the ventures of some individual(s) who thought it necessary to scrawl my personal FB postings to otherwise disaffect those who might be affected by my views on matters entirely unrelated to tea. I’d like to dedicate this post to them and hope whatever ventures upon which they engage beyond defamation do well.  For what it’s worth, I do not retract one scintilla of what I’ve posted.  At the same time, I do not care to belabour matters about which most have very little discernment, which has essentially been my life purpose.  I welcome any interlocutors who are of good faith, but it should be noted that were I a conventionalisto, then that which I’ve been able to offer would be off the radar because I’d be too busy adhering to “herdism,” that which is anathema to my being. . . eh?  (though I’m not Canadian)

We now resume with the third-person lens where we find the Puerh Junky moving from the kitchen of burping cabbage fermented concoctions to the front room alcove, where he crafts his “musings.”  He has designs to discuss the few Zhongcha/Chinatea offerings upon which he’s been sitting as well as some Xinghai and other productions that have been sitting in the cave for a while.  In particular, he feels that there have been some ripes deserving mention.  He’ll start there.

Leap Week LME Ripes

Leap Week LME Ripes occurred spontaneously.  For clarity’s sake, LME stands for the Laoman’e brand and not the terroir, per se, though all of their productions seem to come the three same terroir: Bulang, Nannuo, and Banzhang.  All LME ripe offerings can be characterized as rich and dense, having full fermentation.  There’s full mouthfeel and considerable bitter finish.  This bitterness is likely their most distinguishing feature.  They provide a range of entry points in terms of price.  Prices for widely available productions tend to hold steady, but the Arbor King and BZ Peacock have shown movement to the upside, the latter being a rather extraordinary offering.

The week started out with the ’12 Arbor King, which proved to be its poorest performance ever.  Typically, there’s a cherry note that accompanies its intensity but this time it could not be detected and it was definitely on the flat papery side.  It’s not likely the storage, at the same time AK has not been temperamental.  The best guess is the weather and I’ll be sure to revisit in the next month or two for latest developments.  Overall, I found the visit disappointing and a later visit in the week proved no better, even after airing a bit.

I recently picked up three more ’11 Orchid Vibe.  It’s a good price and I’ve enjoyed the vanilla, along with a fermentation that’s a bit lighter than the others, though by no means light.  I stored it in the ripe big box.  The taste is vastly different from the past with much more wood resin.  It seemed quite similar to the Langhe Ripe Tuo, though they’re stored in different places.  Overall quality and character are solid, but the personality differs greatly from any previous session in tasting for a number of years now.  Again, must be the rainy-season effects.

By this time, the Puerh Junky had a fancy to test a LCGC ripe acquired in Nov ’23.  A more exhaustive write-up on LCGC ripes will be in order some time this year ’24.  The year ’23 had Puerh Junky more curious about their ripes.  It proved a good change of pace, as it brought the LME ripe house style into greater relief.  The greatest difference?  Sweetness.  The LCGC possesses a light molasses and Wheat Chex quality.  The sweetness adds a layer of thickness, though it’s not sticky sweet.  Since Old Geezers which sold out to a local fiend, I haven’t found such a production.

Finally, there was the ’06 Nannuo, LME. It’s in the ripe sampler set #4. This was sampled straight from storage and twice thence in the same week.  Each time, totally blind, PJ’s wife made remarks whereas none of the others elicited a peep.  The Nannuo, of which, I’ve picked up three more in a most recent order (yet to be received), possesses a layer of Vienna Fingers vanilla cookie.  There’s a top layer of this with the LME house bitter finish.  Still is not remarkably sweet.

All were brewed in my ripe pot 10-12g about 3m to start at same or upward with about four infusions.  No vegetal at all.  Prices for these between in the $60s-110.  Samples avail in Sampler U or on respective page.

Zhongcha

Zhongcha is ChinaTea.  I’m trying to get use to using that name more frequently.  They’re a full-range outfit but most of that which Puerh Junky offers is in the “peoples” and midrange priced offerings.  There have been a few individuals who’ve examined the leaves and made critical remarks, then showing me Chenshenghao’s yedi.  I’ve not endevoured to portray my ZC’s on par with CSH’s, but when I look at such monochromatic leaves, I immediately suspect blow drying.  No bueno.  In any event, Zhongcha has presented itself as a volume seller of casual drinkers that “the people” can afford.  Until ’14 they adhered to strict processing methods that didn’t pander to quick-sweet tastes.  Furthermore, they’re iconic and worth visiting for a sense of classic puerh history.   Since ’07 the Zhongcha brand has been synonymous with Kunming TF, though there’s an out layer or two.  Initial forays into Zhongcha were with the ’07 offerings, with a few offered as late as ’16.  In ’23, I ventured into a few ’06 and ’08 with generally positive findings but much different from the ’07s that had served as a centerpiece of acquisition from between ’14-’20.  Astringency is much greater in the ’06 and ’08s.

During the leap week I visited two relatively recent productions, the ’12 Mangosteen and the ’13 Bulang Shengtai.  I had to sit the Mangosteen out for two weeks after first test.  There’s a very high-pitched camphor note that may only be detected by mouth cooling for newbies.  There a middle note of aged fruit, plum possibly, with a zing of erstwhile mangosteen, but a wicked astringency that is altogether not in comportment with the house style as I know it.  I’m still not offering, though I’ve had on hand since ’14, only offering to those confident about their storage.  Having tracked essentially since inception, two more years seems the minimum.  It has maximo classical processing and I’m optimistic given it innate character.  First batch, late March/early April.  It’s bona fide and taking it time.  At least three on hand.

The ’13 Bulang Shengtai has been more fudged in processing if the Mangosteen serves as any comparison  The sugars have already come in, an overall fruity character, having an element of bitterness.  Zen front, fruit second, not unfriendly.  Easy. Everyday drinker.  A good candidate for one unfamiliar with 10yr plus productions that have been only moderately fired.  The wrapper is iconic, but if I’m resorting to wrapper I cannot be all that taken.  It’s very possible that it’s just early.  The 10yr spot is just for starters, nothing negative, seasonal factors included.  Fine.  Much better than two years ago.  Again, the sugars are present but Zen needs some differentiation from bland.  A good conservative starter for testing your brewing method.  I’m expecting more with the the weather changes, say late Aug.  Hit me up.  I won’t raise price in next two years.  I plan to post on a Zhongcha page at the latest by May ’24.

Xinghai

Xinghai grabbing continued afoot in ’23.  Now is a time for proper testing the first stage.  We’ll visit the ’07 Oasis Odyssey, ’07 Paolo Santo, and the ”06 Treasured.  I also tried the ’06 Bulang GS, which is prolly issued under ’07, but I’m willing to give it some time.  Let’s start with the Oasis Odyssey.

Oasis Odyssey seems to have been acquired in May ’23, offered in Nov of the same year.   Over time, it has traversed from oily purple to the typical astringent XH personality with good salivation effect as opposed to drying.  Mostly in the Zen Class.  Compression is massive.  The purple has diminished in expression.  Balanced sweetness.  We’ll have to observe how it evolves in relation to the changes of the seasons.  I’m looking for more oil and purple as last year.

The ’07 Paolo Santo tuo has me rather excited.  It’s a second batch production that has lemon and wood attributes.  I can easily see how the first round would be much more expensive.  No smoke, high limonene wood expression, not too sweet. smattering of bitter.  It’s not available presently, as I only acquired in Nov ’23 but around May ’24 will be.  Bright wood bitter, lemonime, complex, nice.  It’s very promising.  Not sweet but quintessentially Xinghai.  Qi is overall warming and settling.

Finally, there is the Treasured, acquired in Jun ’23.  It has yet to be listed, but one of the projects for the Xinghai Raw page two.  Treasured is the second batch.  It’s in the Tobacco Class, possibly approaching tequila.  Not atomically pressed, with a nice balance of smoked wood, wood resin, sweetness, and astringency.  Probably the most notable element regards storage.  Most productions require the proper treatment that these LA environs provide.  Even then, it takes several months to bring them into a form that make them presentable.  It’s needed every bit of the nine months to come to form.  It’ll appear on the XH second page for certain.

Wrap up

March ’24 Puerh Musings have covered a range of raws and ripes.  The ripes were confined to Puerh Junky’s LME offerings, while raws involved Zhongcha and Xinghai productions.  LME ripes stand out for their bitter finish.  ZC’s ’12 Mangosteen is showing promise, but the astringency is a bit of a hair raiser presently, so it’ll sit at least till after the summer.  The ’13 Bulang Shengtai will be posted soon on a page with a few other others.  The Xinghai visits covered two productions that will also be listed soon.  If all goes well, at the latest mid-May.  Each has a distinctive profile and all being second batches are very reasonably priced:  Oasis Odyssey is Zen with balanced sweetness; Paolo Santo is as the name suggests with remarkable qi; Treasured offers wood complexity of Tobacco Class.  Paolo Santo is also Tobacco Class, but possesses a vastly different quality from Treasured, more closely resembling their Green Peacock.

Ripe Puerh Report Spring 2023

Posted on by Yang-chu
30 Jun

The Ripe Puerh Report Spring 2023 covers ripes in the Puerh Junky Collection.  Just offering some updated notes on ripes listed and unlisted as they evolve.

Let’s start with the ’04 Golden Sail, which is no longer dry and has taken on quite a bit of sweetness and humidity.  The changes after two year’s storage are rewarding, but there are but two of these left.  These tuo were picked up because they represented an interesting Guangdong angle on the marketing of Zhongcha productions.  Golden Sail in particular seems to have circulation in HK and is marketed as an export item similar to their Lucky brand.  This tuo is for the dedicated Zhongcha follower.

The YPH ’10 Sweet Richness lives up to its name.  That said, there is the matter of greater than normal bitterness.  For some, this is a good thing.  It’s quite noticeable.  No tartness.  Yangpinhao is a venture that strikes me as providing an excellent product but struggling for identity.  This situation is in no way remedied by changes of ownership. They do both ripe and raw, but more known for their raws some of which get faked.  Ripes seem to be given to a heavy fermentation style that nevertheless benefits from generous aging.  The blend of tannins with sweetness strike a good balance at this time. . . if you’re in for bitter.  About three fabulous heavy infusions of a dark, dark chocolate like brownies with a bit of baby powder perfume and slate.

Haixintang is the factory providing Grenouille.  This is a factory I’ve known from the early days and their star seems to be rising.  In ’22 the decision to delve a bit deeper had the ole Puerh Junky acquiring a few of their offerings, among them their ’18 Yiwu Ripe.  It captures the essence of Yiwu, smooth, creamy, sweet, banana.  Total extravagance. Nice price stored in nice conditions for a young, ready now offering.  It’s good.  If your conditions will allow for the fermentation zing, then it’ll be better.  Not expensive.  Send an email or hit me on Insta if interested.

The ’06 Langhe Ripe Tuo and I go back a long ways.  The first batch was Guangdong heavily stored and this is also from Guangdong but likely acquired from Kunming.  Right now, this tuo is on the cusp of something unimagined.  Having the fortune to compare the two storage differences provides a fascinating vantagepoint.  Right now, it’s verging toward the ’05 Yiwu Laoshu raw from 6FTM, petrol .  It’s baffling to say the least.  Langhe ripes are stellar but storage and timing is crucial.  Naught-era Langhe provides insight into the a stage of production that strongly oriented to old raw.  Storage factors tremendously.

The ’12 Arbor King, LME is extremely balanced.: sweet fruit, bitterness, moon pie.  I’d call it plush.

Each of these productions offers distinctive ripe puerh profiles.  The most surprising is the Golden Sail because its transformation has been most dramatic.  Second is the Langhe Ripe Tuo.  Its qi is serious and this petrol profile represents something I don’t think I’ve previously had a ripe.

cheers!

 

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.

 

PJ Goes From Peacock to Crow

Posted on by Yang-chu
21 May

PJ Goes From Peacock to Crow has to do with the much-discussed “new processing” of puerh.  “New processing” makes puerh “ready” for drinking much earlier than customary.  “Ready” means sweet.  Old school processed offerings are not instantly sweet.  In fact, a decade generally tends to be the benchmark for beginning to check in on the development of a conservatively processed and stored offering.  Newly processed productions can be sweet the instant they hit the consumer market.  Instantly sweet puerh enjoys broad appeal among the plug-and-play generation of tea drinkers.

Purists will say that this new processing is not puerh.  It’s anyone’s guess how these avant-garde offerings will transform, a question of next to no importance for a plug-and-play tea drinker but central in the mind of the puerh collector.  It’s worth noting that casting the differences as night and day between the two processing approaches mischaracterizes a technique involving creativity and skill.  For certain, fast sugar expression comes at a cost to potential transformative complexity, but the same can be said of heavily stored puerhs where the heat and humidity burn away puerh’s underlying character in favour of putrefaction and dankness.

Since there there are no hard and fast standards for defining puerh beyond coming from Yunnan Province, tea makers are free to innovate or preserve tradition as they see fit.  For puerh purists, the presence of green tea notes is an unacceptable breach of that which defines puerh.  For others, who mainly drink very young productions from Western-facing vendors there is little frame of reference in the first place and often an inability to discern either.  Oh well.  The Puerh Junky doesn’t drink so many post-’14 productions, as even old school factories have joined the fray of new processing.  However, sometimes the quest of the old-school factories to remain relevant gets interesting as it serves as a study to see how makers straddle the line between tradition and innovation.

Zhongcha’s Dance

Zhongcha’s dance with innovation and tradition is worth visiting.  On one end of the spectrum is the Jade Mark, acquired in ’17.  The idea of it being newly processed never crossed my mind; the thought was that it hailed from Lincang, particularly the Bangdong, Bingdao area where there’s a reputation for stellar young tea.  Up until that time, there’d been no run ins with sencha grade productions, so the sweetness was largely chalked up for terroir or pickings later in the season.  Evidently, parts of Lincang have been executing the “new” shaqing for quite some time, so one doesn’t necessarily preclude the other.

In its nine years as of ’23, Jade Mark has continued to hold its own as a perfect example of either Lincang or “new processing” done very well and the reviews have always been unequivocally positive.  As a recipe production, Zhongcha is not saying what it is.  Be that as it may, as a a “gateway” puerh, Jade Mark is hard to beat, though its transformation potential remains entirely unknown. . . or nonexistent.  Perhaps over the years it’s gotten sweeter, perhaps even more bitter, expressing more of true Bulang character than in its youth.  It’s hard to say.

At the other end of the spectrum lies the Bulang Peacock from the same year.  It started much more in the vein of a traditionally processed creation before manifesting an expression found in productions at least five years older.  Vanilla and spice notes are rarely found in puerhs under eight and if they are then either the processing or storage has been ramped up.  As of May ’23, BP appears to be moving on from its spicy and vanilla expression to something more camphorated.  There are phases where it’s got a Lemony Snickets vibe going on, a Ricola taste with the vanilla only coming at the very front end.  In contrast to the Jade Mark which has shown little change, Bulang Peacock is a constantly moving target.  Such change is consistent with traditional processing, though everything seems to be happening at a quicker pace.  The vanilla and spice still express depending on just how fast one goes from one infusion to the next and there’s some serious Bulang bitterness too.  It’s captivating.

Xinghai Sweet Chariot?

During the Xinghai buying focus of 2022, Puerh Junky picked up a couple from ’15 and ’16 presumed to be newly processed.  The ’16 Golden Peacock is the second Xinghai acquisition from that year.  Here’s where the crow eating comes in because even though the grouchy junky (GJ) in me wants to hate on these insta-sweets, there’s no denying that Mme Zhang is very good, most capable at manipulating processing parameters in a way that gives the plug-and-play playa exactly what they want while not compromising the integrity of the material itself.

The Golden Peacock is sweet without being too sweet.  There’s serious substance and depth that progressively unfolds with each infusion.  What starts out as being possibly frilly frivolity moves into a very self-assured production.  Bitterness fades quickly amidst omnipresent rock sugar sweetness and fruity note.  The Golden Peacock isn’t a rookie puerh.  It’s for those who like the boldness that Xinghai tends to offer, only at about ten years earlier than usual.  It’s got fresh green vibrance, but there is no sencha or chlorophyll taste.  Furthermore, there’s a noticeable fermentation aroma in the empty pitcher which promises that it will continue to transform.

Wrap-up

Aside from its controversy, new-school puerh processing exists along a continuum from traditional to borderline oolong and sencha.  Consequently, old-school factories have many options for how they imagine the outcomes for an expanding “puerh” market.  The case of Jade Mark demonstrates a puerh where potential for transformation plays a small role.  By contrast, the Bulang Peacock, from the same year, has changed quite a lot.  As of writing in May ’23, the Golden Peacock has changed relatively little.  The ferment-y aroma is indicative of fairly traditional processing, while the sweetness is new-school all the way.

 

 

 

Turning Up Heicha

Posted on by Yang-chu
26 Apr

Turning Up Heicha came about from a reflection upon a number of dry-stored productions from about ’98-’07 that possess a quintessentially heicha character.  “Heicha” is a class of tea to which puerh belongs but is processed in different provinces.  “Puerh” is a trademarked name similar to champange, so technically other places technically cannot use the term.  Other types of heicha are fucha and liubao.  Typically, heicha’s association with puerh is with ripes given the processing technique, but older raws venture into the heicha category as well.  Puerh Junky will be visiting raw with heicha expression in this post.

HK Returns Cake, Zhongcha

Among the varying HK Returns offerings from ’07, the HK Returns Cake proved the burliest.  The lack of sweetness acquired in ’16 constituted a continuing conundrum.  I porcelained a portion about two years ago in ’21 Spring.  The porcelained version is not recognizable from previously associations, though the listing blurb duly notes that it strode a road toward berry fruit-osity.  Another portion of the same cake, stored differently, still possesses the tobacco tinge.

Only one tasting of the ’21 acquisitions (about three) transpired, and it expressed camphor sweetness indicative of greater humidity.  Overall, the HKR Cake has great durability and depth, with some of the stronger character from its youth coming though.

HK Returns Iron Cake, Zhongcha

Since we’re talking about heicha and Zhongcha and HK Returns, there’s the Iron Cake.  The pauperly Puerh Junky only has one of these for sale.  It’s absolute magic.  To be perfectly honest, were I looking for this taste, I’d probably venture into Dancong’s.  It’s extremely well constituted: sweet, thick, and with lemony notes on the top.  Lemonene expresses in Hideout, LME, but Hideout has an identifiably puerh character and complexity.  The HK Iron could be easily classified as a well preserved dancong or better yet, a well-stored fucha of about 8  yrs old.

Macau Raw Brick

The 2000 Macau Raw Brick isn’t for sale, but it serves as a solid touchstone for appreciating the transformation of raw puerh.  It has a depth that perhaps surpases heicha at it current stage.  Mind you, Puerh Junky doesn’t do much heicha drinking.  The variables of Mainland storage, travel, and storage on the LA side albeit separate intersect.  By the time the MRB reached performance level, it was difficult to determine which variable factored most.  This brick happens to be referenced in the Puerh Yearbook. It’s devoid of any humidity, so there’s no “old taste” per se, but it’s aged fully.

Du Qiongzhi 7532

The ’03 Du Qiongzhi 7532 comes in a bold Red Mark wrapper and progressed beyond the initial tobacco stage.  This particular cake, acquired in ’15, has never received full treatment. . . or maybe it has to its detriment.  It received the “top-shelf tx,” productions that were more enclosed and even placed in the sexy cardboard boxes aptly fitting single cakes.  The thing is that the cardboard aroma bleeds into the cake while zapping it of certain essential esscenses.  It’s been much work trying to bring this cake around.  It’s going on two years now, and if it’s been tinned, I don’t know where such tin is stashed.  In any event, it seems it wants to emerge as the porcelained version of the HK Returns Cake does but just hasn’t juiced up enough given the top-shelf tx.  It’s from Meitra Du’s own collection, so the junky side of me thought to be extra careful with little basis for knowing what extra care meant given my conditions and the conditions of the cake.  An Aug ’22 session produced by far the most enjoyable session and this summer seems to be a good time to really give it a push.  I do have two non-cardboard affected cakes.  The wrapper is thin cotton paper of distinctive quality.  Though horribly tattered at the edges, I don’t recall any staining.

’03 Du 7532

Thick Zen, Zhongcha

Thick Zen epitomizes the enigma of puerh.  My first encounter with it was around ’17.  It looked horrible and tasted of absolutely nothing.  I knew it must be good, but I didn’t know how long it would take.  Its viscosity clung to me and anticipation of it morphing into root beer oozed from my being.  I drank and sampled much from the first two cakes, convinced it was Yiwu.

The second batch of TZ has the same thickness, but the storage was dry, it appears, beyond the stage of turning camphor, wood, or rooty.  Could be the material as well.  Batch two is far sassier, with the fruit note far more up front, with stone fruit sour, a bit of raisin in the nose.  It’s like a strong boiling of dried cherry and peach without the sugar added.  Picking up some grape nose as it rehydrates.  By June ’23 it should be in good form, it’s already much sweeter than at the beginning of the month and there’s even some vanilla and complexity that garned its praises previously.

What’s not Heicha

Neither Poison nor some Yiwus are coming off as heicha.  I’d say the Yiwu Gratitude is venturing toward heicha, but the Prince is holding true to a darker note.  A number of the 6FTM Yiwu on hand have turned petrol in the same time frame.  All of these hail from backgrounds of decidedly more humid conditions.  When and how much humidity gets applies plays a major role in how the production will manifest.  Raw puerhs possess a degree of dynamism that cannot be found with other heicha, but through prolonged dry storage with heat they manifest as a bona fide heicha character.  Counterintuitively, ripes take considerably longer to have heicha traits to emerge.  The exception to this is the big leaf sancha, which might be processed in a fashion quite similar to liubao.

Wrapping Up

This desultory passage on raws Turning Up Heicha is just one of the ongoing reflections upon storage.  Although ripe puerh technically fits within the category of heicha, it doesn’t possess the fruit character until considerably aged and often never (there are obvious exceptions).  Conversely, raw puerh can turn up heicha quite often given the right measure of heat and dryness.  Raw productions like the HK Returns Cake and the Du 7532 that previously fell under the tobacco class have been marching ever resolutely toward heicha brightness.  Both cases demonstrate how slight variations in storage variables can produce notable differences.  The HK Returns Iron was first sampled last year, ’22.  There was no need to taste before then, because it was clear that offerings of this nature needed a solid 15yrs storage before sampling. It’s certainly the most outstanding among the HK Returns Series.  Age being what it is, there are nevertheless great storage matters requiring tending.  The Thick Zen second batch is every bit as thick, but needs some loving before performing optimally.  Complex notes are starting to form and it’s possible that storage intensity may reawaken its puerh essence, but for now it’s trending decidedly in the direction of heicha.  Finally, some reference points contrasting from heicha provide the reader with the Puerh Junky’s thinking on the matter.