Here’s a tea to remind one of the immense variety found in this plant and raw pu’er specifically. This Jing Mai is really quite different from anything I’ve had but it reminds me a bit of W2T’s If You’re Reading This (but it’s more floral) and some Dan Cong oolongs (but it’s more vegetal). The complexity of the tea and its uniqueness mean that you shouldn’t expect anything close to a complete description of its character from this note. As Scott says, this is a tea that should be experienced first hand.
Among the aromatics present, none were particularly dominant, but I could smell honey, decaying grass, roasted nuts, raisins, and there is a sort of metallic tinge to the aroma. Later on in the session, I get a scent of vomit and decaying apples.
The taste truly escapes any words I can attach to it. It has medium to strong bitterness and a very herbaceous, mineral character. There is a fruity sweetness and juiciness (raspberries and apples), medicinal notes (think cough syrup), strong umami and savoury backbone, floral fragrance (orchid and dandelion) that dances on the back of my tongue and gets somewhat overwhelming in late steeps, and other aspects including notes of bog and tree bark.
The bitterness fades fairly quickly and leaves a numbing sensation, especially on the sides of the mouth. The aftertaste is very long, floral and metallic with notes of sweet grass, straw, white wine, and blood, among others. Within about an hour after drinking I get a kind of a dong ding like aftertaste!
The liquor has a medium body with a decent astringency, while I would describe the mouthfeel as oily and active. Completing the experience is a strong, grounding cha qi, that is of the mind numbing and dreamy kind.
Song pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6ljyqDB15o
Flavors: Alcohol, Apple, Astringent, Bark, Bitter, Cut Grass, Dandelion, Floral, Honey, Medicinal, Metallic, Mineral, Orchid, Raspberry, Roast Nuts, Salt, Straw, Sweet, Warm Grass, Umami, Vegetal, White Wine
