Got this in a puerh starter-package from LP quite a while ago. Used the whole 4.5g in a 100mL gaiwan. Aroma was kind of bitter vegetal with a hint of smoke – not enough to worry me or anything though.
First steep I got some vegetal bitterness and spiciness with apricot and slight wisp of smoke in the aftertaste. Next steep, the vegetal flavor reminded me more specifically of asparagus and the apricot afteraste got a little sweeter – same otherwise. Over the next couple steeps, the bitterness mostly left, and the fruitiness came to the fore with a light smoky aftertaste. The next 5 steeps or so were pretty consistent, with a distinct peach flavor followed by the same smoky aftertaste. The tea had pretty decent body to it. For these steeps it seriously tasted almost exactly like that Arizona Peach tea you can get in a can, but without the crazy sugar levels.
I got about a dozen good steeps off of this tea, and I did go decently light on the leaf. Not sure if it’s the same as the Wild Monk cakes currently available on Mandala’s site, but when I finally get around to making an order with them, I’ll be sure to at least get some more to try. This was pretty good.
I didn’t get much body feeling from this tea. The early steeps gave a slight buzzing feeling on the tongue, but other than that, no noticeable qi or anything for me. Possibly due to lighter leaf, but this one might just not possess those qualities.
Flavors: Fruity, Peach, Smoke, Spices, Vegetal
Preparation
Comments
This same mao cha was what was used to press the 2014 Wild Monk pu’er cakes. I’m glad you enjoyed it. We have a local coffee shop that we source for and they go through this stuff like, well, wild monks! You can go stronger on the leaf, but with these younger purple leaf teas, I like doing lower temps for the first few years, 195 or so, if I’m leafing it up. There is much energy to be had in this tea. Buzzed, Garret
This same mao cha was what was used to press the 2014 Wild Monk pu’er cakes. I’m glad you enjoyed it. We have a local coffee shop that we source for and they go through this stuff like, well, wild monks! You can go stronger on the leaf, but with these younger purple leaf teas, I like doing lower temps for the first few years, 195 or so, if I’m leafing it up. There is much energy to be had in this tea. Buzzed, Garret