Yunnan Sourcing

This is a very nice sheng pu’erh. Aggressive, though not overly so. Probably not a good “starter” tea, but for those who’ve been drinking pu’erh for awhile, this one should work nicely.

There is something so pure about raw puerh, the least processed tea of all, simply sun dried and compressed, not even pan fried like longjing, but allowed to remain “alive” with tiny microbes that facilitate fermentation and constant change. What I love about the idea of raw bamboo puerh is the contradiction of that purity with the elaborate process of making charcoal, packing the bamboo sections, steaming them, cutting away the bamboo, etc. This is tea dialectics! Simply complex. Fire and water. Heaven and earth.

As I understand it, there are a couple of different ways to make bamboo puerh: One is to roll or knead the fresh tea leaves, directly fill the bamboo tube, and oven bake; the other is to first sun dry the leaves, then steam them on rice, and compress the leaves into the bamboo while baking over fire. I think this tea was processed the second way.

I have only ever had the Wuyi Mountain bamboo tea from Norbu, which is subtle and very mild. This Dai tea (the Dai are one of China’s ethnic minorities) is an interesting comparison. First the tea tubes are much larger — two and a half inches in diameter. And the tea is much more tightly compressed; it was difficult to break off a chunk and, consequently, I crushed some of the leaves. I rinsed the tea twice to open it up, which it did nicely. The first tastes were of the familiar purity of green puerh, predominantly vegetal, no camphor. In the next infusions, floral notes appear (mushroomy magnolia perhaps) against a definite smoky background (pace the YS description). What I’m calling smokiness is very subtle and quiet pleasant and recessive — different from up-front roasted; others may call it woody but it was smokey to me. It adds further complexity. The spent leaves are amazingly whole; the smell of the leaves in the pot is more flowery than other shengs I’ve had.

I think the Dai simply put this tea in a bowl with hot water rather than prepare it in a pot and transfer to cups. I will brew and drink directly from a gaiwan next time, to try to emulate the Dai. Tea dialectics put me in touch with people I don’t even know. I can travel with tea if I concentrate. I can become very old and also very young. Raw bamboo puerh is particular good and helping me do this.

Opened this tea tonight, a free sample that has been waiting nearly a year for its debut.

Started with 3.5 gram in a small gaiwan (75mL), flash rinsed then sat 1 minute before first infusion of about 10 seconds, at 205 degrees. The first infusion is delicate, light, probably could have been longer—a little fruity, a little sweet, a little floral. Very nice. 2nd infusion 20 seconds, a little more earthy along with the same floral, fruity, sweet, anise. Strong bitterness comes out in the 3rd infusion, lost track of the infusion time, but can confirm that the infusion was quite dark yellow, and that the bitterness receded appropriately with a 2 fold dilution, and the sweet and strong anise/floral/fruity flavors returned.

A 4th infusion, about 15 seconds—this really needs very short infusions still due to higher than my usual leaf-to-water ratios, because the sample bit of beeng was rather large—and the typical young sheng profile is back.

A few more infusions later, it is clear that this is a nice young sheng, but it requires careful attention to keep the bitterness down to the low level I prefer.

I have had this tea lying around for a little while so it may not have been at it’s peak. Having said that, I loved it. The first infusion was quite subtle but it was the following infusions where this tea came into it’s own The second and third infusion displayed hints of spice and a pronounced fruitiness. The absolute standout was the body of this tea (although thickness seems more appropriate). By the fifth infusion it was a little spent. Most surprising is that it was a big hit with my eleven and thirteen year old boys too!

…If you had served me this tea and told me that it was Earl Grey
- then you would have FOOLED me!

’Cause it reminds me of the Earl … Kinda. I would had looked at the reddish liquid, bittersweet smell and gone “Oh, Earl grey is it?”. But a moment later or so I would had stopped, frowned, and stared at you with a confused look in my face.

“What is that nutty flavor” I would have asked you.
“What nutty flavor?”
“That Dirt/Nuttyness in the aroma”…

And then I would sip at the tea and my eyes would go big as I swallowed because I would think something in the line of :“Uhm… sweet black tea… Nutty…. And whats that TINGLE in the back of the troat!? I know this feeling! IT’S POISON!!!!”

Snort

But It’s just me who overreact. ‘Cause I am too silly (and don’t you all know it.)
Then I would sip again and talk about the flavors. Chocolat, bergamot, tobacco, nut and a earthy aftertaste.

Sweet and bitter taste.

Hmm… I like it.
But for the wrong reasons. I like it because this tea reminds me of MARLBORRO.
Don’t know why, maybe I was brainwashed before anything with cigarrets was banned from TV. Oh, don’t get me wrong – I don’t smoke. It’s just that I can imagine a Marlborro Guy in a bar drinking this tea. (Smirk).

I leave you with that image.

Hapily bumping the rating on this tea!

This time ’round I went for 9g in 190ml using the same seasoned shi piao style zi ni pot. Single rinse had 10 second total contact time (the general rate of pour for this pot) with water right off a boil. Only paid attention to four infusions before delving into just drinking alongside my dinner and winging temps and times after that. Tack 10 seconds onto these for total contact times: 25sec-99C, 30sec-98C, 35sec-96C, 40sec-94C, subsequent infusions a patchwork up to a couple minutes with 90C-100C water…

Fragrance is basic slightly earthen leaf litter and bark with a slight olive oil underlying note. Aroma heady wet humus and wet mossy rocks (not really earthy or musty, but there are parallels) and some dry bamboo. A good amount of bran comes out in the aroma on both the leaves and liquor. Liquor starts reddish and gets progressively darker brown until the untimed seventh infusion.

Much more crisp and coppery than last time brewing. Great body, lingering rice sweetness, and woody notes similar, but more of that sweetness and much more of a savory impression. Bamboo shoot or marsh grass vegetal notes peep through in the aftertaste. Crisp and refreshing despite thick mouthfeel and generally very warming bodily effect.

Later infusions I had with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Very odd pairing, but by golly did they go well together! Heavy food and hearty tea with cool crisp air coming in from outside makes for a very nice experience.

Hooray for second chances.

Had a nice but less-than-wonderful round of brewings with this tea the other day. I’m going to redo this tea with a bit higher concentration.
Used 7g in 200ml water in a shi piao style zi ni clay pot that’s been pretty well seasoned with shu puerh.

Big body, mildly sweet, tacky. Nice, full presence and steadfast rich wood and leaf litter character, but there really isn’t a ton to distinguish this cake from other good Menghai shu bingchas. I know shu cha doesn’t gain much of anything beyond a few years to a decade, but it’s sad to consider it just mellowing out to a pleasant tea that’s nice to have with meals. Tasty, but it isn’t something I’d necessarily serve to guests, as there isn’t very dynamic an expression of flavors.

I know I can get more out of this, as I’ve been brewing it since February 2009. If something else doesn’t catch my eye/tastebuds late tonight, I’ll be revisiting this.

This is one of the best lighter fermentation ripe puerh that I’ve had yet. A lighter sweet and mellow blend with a very enjoyable rolling smoothness with each sip, where the silky texture is complemented with lighter slightly malty notes in the background. Absolutely no traces of harshness or earthiness/mustiness in this wonderful blend. A very wonderful puerh that I’ve already bought an entire tong of which is the first time I have done so and I have not ruled out going back for a second or third tong.

Yum

Really tasty, approachable, and durable.
Can’t really justify rating this any higher since I just don’t feel it has the range of character necessary for me to stick this alongside teas I have the highest regard for, but boy does it taste good. Not much to add to the vendor’s description, though…

Used 2g with 60ml water in a small glazed ceramic gaiwan. Used 90 degree C water and it cooled to 83 degrees C by the 4th infusion, reheating for the 5th and 6th. Steep times followed 30, 45, 60, 150, 180, 210 seconds, followed by a steep a couple seconds shy of the 20 minute mark.

Up front it is floral and toasty. Chocolate, honey, a touch of caramel, and toasted marshmallow in the flavor with cinnamon, table grapes, allspice berries, and a mix of tropical and annual wildflowers melded together in the aroma and nose. Very very smooth. I accidentally let the 6th infusion go for 20 minutes and it’s still very tasty and not particularly different from the earlier infusions. This is really reminiscent of Taiwanese Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao Oolong) but with more cocoa. Rich, buttery body and slight sweet-crisp mouthwatering impression similar to the effect of eating grapes after a tiny bit of chocolate covered caramel.
Soothing and quick to disappear from my cup.

Just had the softest expression I’ve experienced from this tea thus far. 6.6g in a gaiwan holding about 100mL using water just shy of a boil. Single rinse and untimed infusions starting around 15 seconds and building to about 45 seconds on the sixth infusion.

Not nearly as sweet as I’ve had, but very thick and very smooth. Rich, dark gold infusion with good transparency. Light pollen-like liquor aroma with just a hint of white peach. The tea itself didn’t exhibit it, but the emptied cup carried the wonderful perfumey aroma of Da Hong Pao as I have come to expect the tea to present. Alas, I was sharing this with a couple folks and it was very tasty but very different from what I’ve experienced.

Based on the brewing round we did, I wouldn’t choose this tea to age but enjoy now (okay, this is partly me easing my conscience for blasting through two cakes in such a short time). Should still be very interesting down the line, though.

Shoot, I’m thinking this tea won’t get the chance to age much in my hands! I keep getting these random cravings for this specific tea… maybe I’ll just have to buy a whole tong and hide it somewhere that I can’t access very well.
This time I feel I sort of hit a sweet spot for the first infusion, though durability of subsequent infusions suffered a bit.

Used a lighter concentration with my trusty old, larger Duan Ni clay Shi Piao pot I’ve seasoned well enough to change the color of. 5g in 210ml water with a single rinse at 88 degrees C immediately poured off. Pour time is about 15 seconds. Infusions progressed: 45sec-87C, 45sec-83C, 45sec-78C, 1min10sec-87C, 1min15sec-85C, 2min30sec-80C. Sixth infusion still had staying power, but most of the complexity had leveled out and any brews after it would probably be just a bunch of the same diminishing to the ether. O’course, I really couldn’t take a seventh cup in this instance. I know Lu Yu’s tea was heavier, whisked tea, but I felt much the same way tonight.

Very close expression to the first time I played with this tea, but incorporating the toasty, cocoa-and-spice characteristics I got at high concentrations. Strange, since this is the lowest concentration I’ve brewed this at… This tea seems to really want to please the more frugal tea drinkers who don’t want to expend a lot of energy on controlling the parameters.
Grape-sweet, orchid-floral, celery-astringent, toasted French white oak woodiness (as expressed in a dry Chardonnay), steamed cauliflower vegetal note, cassia-spiciness, rose-afteraroma, peppered roast beef savory, with a wet granite mineral quality. Later infusions become more minerally and 3rd infusion onward carries a pleasant long-lasting light astringency across most of the tongue and throat. By the third infusion I’d sort of developed a sweat from the savory-spiciness even though it’s pretty cool tonight.
Once again, very yummy and satisfying. I had a churning stomach and three cups of this and a couple pieces of sprouted wheat toast took care of it (probably not as well as a shu puerh, but I had a craving).

Hmm, I think I’m starting to beat this bush to death… Better put this tea away for a while.

Tried preparing this differently after seasoning three yixing pots with it.
7g in 150ml using a shi piao style qing hui ni pot and 9g in 170ml using a fang gu style zhi ma duan ni pot and 11g in 170ml using a fang gu style “dragon kiln” burnt duan ni pot.
I’m used to raised concentration and short steeps increasing the complexity, but I got much smaller range in these. A lot more chocolate notes and roasty florals. Aroma, nose, and aftertaste/afteraroma is strikingly similar to Da Hong Pao!

Wow, I was really not expecting this to be half as good as it is. I mean, I expected it to be good and tasty and whathaveyou, but it’s kind of bugging me how high I’m rating this. I’m not a fan of singular numerical rating and it kinda makes me cringe to see this is right up against my proclaimed “favorite tea” at such a young age for a puerh.
The reason for my prejudice against it? It feels like the producers have successfully cheated. Storing puerh in warm, humid areas accelerates the aging process and when properly executed can effectively replicate up to five years’ worth of active effort in rotating storage conditions under dry storage in the course of a single year. “Hong Kong Storage” – while not necessarily as bad as “wet storage” – is practically synonymous with “musty, dirty, mildewy” tea. Tight compaction and somewhat absorbent coverings surrounding the cakes can mitigate this and make HK stored puerh acceptable or enjoyable, but it’s got a distinct effect on the flavor. Not so in this case.
True, storing in Xishuangbanna is not storing in Hong Kong and five years at origin is hardly “aging” when considering vintage puerh. However, much of the qualities of similar age sheng puerh from nearby areas have been mellowed and flavors have definitely developed at a higher rate. Still doesn’t have what I’d even consider a light “aged character” but it has a greater range of flavors, much mellower, is very sweet, and has a wonderful aroma. I keep trying to imagine some sort of mustiness, but it is remarkably clean.

I used 2g with 60ml water in a small glazed ceramic gaiwan. Single rinse really opened up the compacted leaves. Kept the temperature at 85 degrees C for the first 7 infusions and went up to 87 C for 8th-10th infusions. Steep time progressed 20. 20, 25, 30, 35, 45, 55, 65, 90, 120 seconds.

The leaves are really pretty. Mostly mossy green but with brownish green patches, a ton of silvery and white down covered long buds, and a few bright golden-down and purplish leaves here and there. Compaction is pretty firm towards the center and gradually looser towards the margins, where whole leaf sets can be wriggled free. Dry fragrance is mineral-y, green zucchini skin/leaves vegetal, and somewhat stripped-bark sweet with a pervasive camphor note tingling underneath. Wet leaves look a whole heck of a lot like a twisted leaf lightly oxidized oolong – after the 7th infusion they look like phoenix pearls that have unfurled, just a shade darker. A lot of intact leaves… Actually, the only broken leaves I can find are attached to 2-3 leaf sets that are mostly intact with developing buds. Color of cooked grape leaves – a dark olive green with some slightly yellow-brown mossy green on smaller leaves and attached twigs. Just now realizing I’m not finding any twigs or stem on its own, how I’m used to seeing in inexpensive cakes (though this is more common in shu than sheng, it seems). Wet leaf aroma is squashy and tulip-floral with a bark and cacao-like sweet and a slight dried mandarin orange fruit note, similar to orthodox Nilgiri and some Sri Lankan red tea. There’s a tacky, spicy “green” aroma, like spinach or mustard greens. Liquor is clear light yellow with a faint pink tint in earlier infusions, steadily darkening to a light honey color. Liquor aroma also conveys some honey in the aroma, along with warm floral notes (most notably Cymbidium) and a sort of steamed milk and vanilla bean creamy aroma.

Rich body and sweet taste again draws similarities to Wenshan Baozhong and Phoenix/Dragon Pearls, but this is far sweeter. The fresher vegetal qualities are subdued and mostly resigned to the aroma and nose with more stripped wood and moss coming through over them. The sweetness and mouthfeel is really similar to sugar water! Not quite syrupy, but just a little less sugar than I’m used to using when making lemonade. There’s this awesome effect of spiciness inherent in the draught, surging in and out of the primary flavors like swells on the ocean. The spice and savory mixed with the subdued vegetal-floral flavors is really similar to ginger. It’s kind of funny how much the tea resembles the herbal blend I had earlier today, minus the faint hint of tannin or medicinal flavor the Laguna Blend is hiding. Even pollen characteristics and mouthwatering effects are inherent, but much more balanced in the puerh (and much more mouthwatering… sort of verging on drool status). There are cooked vegetable flavors in there too, but low key. Green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, mustard greens. The range of flavors is more vertical than horizontal, as in young/fresh teas that sort of toss a splatter of flavors at your palate and you mop up the residues to see how they work in the aftertaste. This is more like digging through the mixture of flavors to unveil others hiding underneath and the flavors/nose characteristics you toss aside to get deeper pop back later in the afteraroma and aftertaste that comes back quickly and evaporates slowly. The aftertaste is sort of stepped – it comes in, fades away, and another takes its place as though precipitating from the afteraroma into a sweet aftertaste.

Clean, savory, sweeeet, and spicy with a juicy, gingery mouthfeel and serious play on the salivary glands. One of those teas that is simultaneously interesting and relaxing, going hand in hand with its dichotomy of rich yet refined character. Hmm… James Bond in a cup? More like Zorro.
This isn’t your dark and brooding puerh. While mellower than other shengs its age, it is stimulating, clean, and not far from its green roots. What’s more, it is kinder than its kin – it appears to accept a wider range of brewing parameters without risking astringency and can go for a long duration of infusions in spite of opening up really fast.

The last puerh I reviewed was a “nom nom nom” experience whereas this is much more droolalicous.

I’m feeling mighty lucky here, ‘cause I just bought three of these cakes at the same time as the samplers, with the intent to season a pair of duan ni pots with this guy as wedding gifts. The two couples I got these for are getting much tastier tea than I thought they’d be having.

Addendum:
Since the 10th infusion had this interesting barley flavor the others didn’t, I decided to really push the leaves. 11th infusion used 87 degree water for 10 minutes. Still smooth and sweet, but that barley note and a willow bark taste (yes, I’ve chewed willow bark – natural aspirin) comes through a lot more. Sweetness is much more grape-like. Actually tastes a lot like a mellower, sweeter full leaf Indian red tea, minus the astringency. Sort of halfway between full leaf Darjeeling and Kandy, Sri Lanka. 12th infusion I used boiling water and steeped 5 minutes, producing an infusion very much like three year old, dry-storage shengs brewed with cooler water. More in line with Mengku and Nan Nuo than Wu Liang or Lincang, as would be expected due to proximity. Light and vegetal with grapeskin crispness, mineral slick feel, and faint astringency in the very bottom of the throat.

I got one of these 100g mini-beengs in 2007, bought ten more at the beginning of 2009 and have been drinking them up and gave a few away as gifts. I’m down to 2 and 3/4 cakes left and will miss ‘em when they’re gone as they are great for drinking with meals (especially oily/greasy stuff like a lot of Chinese food). Tons of oompf for such a tiny package – little beengcha, little leaves, big flavor. Mellowed a bit since the first taste I had, but age has had little effect thus far and I doubt the tea will survive to a point where it’s effect is really significant.

10g with 225ml water in a seasoned “shi piao” Yuan Kuang Lao ZiNi yixing teapot. Double rinse to break up very tight compaction. 1st infusion 20 seconds; 2nd infusion 25 seconds; 3rd-6th infusions 30 seconds each.

Leaves are tightly compacted but not as absurdly tight as an iron-cake and it is possible to break of chunks using just fingers. There’s a lot of buds but grading ripe puerh is tricky – while graded piles are segregated in wo dui prep, most is done on the basis of size after being broken down in active fermentation so these fairly uniform leaf bits contain buds, rolled bits of young leaves, and thin broken twigs of the sort that connect 2 leaf and a bud sets. Still, the cakes are pretty equally brown and gold with a reddish reflection. Embedded paper has started taking on some tea oils but still an overall matte appearance. Not much dry fragrance beyond dry clay-rich loam. Same note dominates in heady wet aroma but with warm moist leaf litter base. Coppery sweetness in aroma like candied pecans/walnuts. Did I mention clay? Always reminds me of sculpting in the same room as an operating kiln. Liquor is dark red with clear transparency but the color makes it nearly impossible to see through the tea without back-lighting.

Heavy, heavy body. Mouthwatering tacky quality similar to currants/prunes but there really isn’t a fruit note except maybe a fleeting hint of prune in the aftertaste. Flavor hits at the back, near the throat first and then you notice the flavor in the rest of your mouth. This is all about the moist earth flavors. Sweetness is pleasantly metallic. Like the comforting sweet smell of bronze antiques or lightly rusted cast iron. Mmm, boy it’s rich. Lots of woody tastes – less acidic than orchid bark, but moist chopped hardwood bark a definite. Aroma suggests resin and pepper but these are not really present in neither flavor nor nose. Long finish of unglazed clay wares. For all its earthy characters, it is not dirty. These are humus and refined base soil material notes, not dust or dung. I’ve seen some people call the barnyard smell of wet-storage puerh as “pu-erh like” (or “poo-air” like the common mispronunciation of the tea category); this does not have that off-characteristic. Puerh ought to have a clarity despite its earthen qualities in shous or aged shengs. Sure, this is a wo dui processed tea and has an old building character to it, but no farm animals here and the mustiness is kept to the wet leaves. Rich, potent, and smoooooth with long lasting but clear finish.

I love this tea and it is a staple for drinking with food. So why the rating? The rating reflects the reality check of the real level of this tea – it is not a superb, must-try tea. It tastes really good and makes a good gift for folks who actually drink good tea, but it can not compare to a well-aged cake or many teas that cost 10 times as much. There is a huge presence of flavor and you can pick out all kinds of tastes if you try – ranging from toasted white oak, teak, dried bullrush, and water lily – but the complexity is not something that you really jump at and in six infusions prepared gong fu cha, there really is not much shift in flavor. On the plus side, it it reliable and can cut through the impacts of drinking alongside a meal, but monodirectional flavor doesn’t earn a high score in my book. You don’t reach for a $100 bottle of wine to drink with every meal, however much you may enjoy it; same goes for this good everyday tea.
I’d still recommend this to friends, but I can’t find any more to buy.

7g in 200ml seasoned duan ni squat shi piao yixing teapot.

Leaves are a work of art. Even when broken apart, they have great luster and preserve their shape well. If I didn’t worry about aromatic taints and light corruption, I’d have this out on display it is so pretty. Leaves smell pretty green – basically fresh mao cha. A touch of gravelly loam and seven grain bread. Wet aroma liberates some more nectar-like qualities and sandy clay aroma (not just the smell of the teapot). Reminds me of the smell of fresh mulch. Not a ton going on, but pleasant.

Mellow, balanced young sheng puerh. Liquor appearance and body very similar to 1 part honey diluted in 3 parts hot water. Smooth. Really smooth for how young it is. Sweetness is about on par with infused Chamomile. Lack of bitterness or assertive qualities has me feeling this may not age particularly well but it is very pleasant drinking for a cake that ought to be “too young to drink.” Very soft.

Nice drinking tea if you’re a fan of relatively fresh mao cha or Yunnan greens.

Woah! this tea is awesome – fresh like cut grass and that mouthfeel thing which I think you call Hui Gan. Soo thick and visceral! Only needed very short steeps at the beginning.

First time trying this tea. May become my favorite. Robust heavy smoked. 1st, 30s, 2nd 15s…

Had a nice brewing session with this tea this morning—4 or 5 infusions in a small glass teapot, the better to see the beautiful leaves unfolding. It was so delicate and floral and sweet and perfect that I fell in love all over again. I started out with about 12 ‘poles’ in a 6 oz teapot, water 160 degrees, infused 30-90 seconds in the first few infusions, then upped the temp a littele to 170 for another infusion or two (writing this in the evening, can’t be too precise). But I did count out the little poles as I dropped them into the pot. I will definitely be ordering this one again.

Drank this one gongfu cha today during a long meeting. It held up well for a good dozen infusions or so.

Used 1.8 grams of tea in small 40 mL gaiwan
Infusions 160°F/71°C-170°F/77°C
30”, 30”, 30”

Jade Pole Supreme Yunnan green tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Dry Leaves: long twists of intact leaves, camphor, vegetal, grassy aroma
Liquor, 1st infusion: pale ivory liquor; mild, camphor, floral
Liquor, 2nd infusion: peachy, sweet, camphor
Liquor, 3rd infusion: peachy, sweet, camphor, first astringency, hints of bitterness
Wet Leaves: beautifully intact yellow-green leaves, in pairs of one very small bud and one larger leaf

Tasting notes with photos on my site here:

http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/GreenTeaTasting.html

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