pu-erh of the day. Sheng or Shou

Today I’m brewing a 1970s GYG purchased at least a decade ago from Sunsing. It’s one of several pricey beengs I splurged on in the first flush of puer love. I’m sad to say that I treated those beengs badly. Just this year I pulled them out of the cupboard over the fridge where had languished mostly untouched for 10 years and stuck them in mylar bags with Boveda packs in the hopes I could wake them up. This tea has been rehydrating since Jan 24. I’ve got a big old chunk (8.1 grams) in a 150 ml gaiwan. Two rinses—beautiful orange broth. First steep 10 seconds. Much deeper color. Very faintly musty, sweet, woody taste, some drying. My tongue is very happy. I’ll post an update when I get deeper into it.

I’m drinking through some Farmer Leaf cakes. Today’s cake is from last autumn harvest from Dong Guo. It’s very tasty stuff and it’s unusual for me to enjoy young pu.

Brewing it in a 100ml JangPoNi with highland spring water boiled in an iron tetsubin. Why do things by half measures eh?

I’ll be cracking open a tong from Yangqing Hao, of 2004 TejiPin as it’s been ’acclimatising for 6 months (I forgot about it, been a busy period).

Yesterday I moved on to the 1960s GYG purchased some years ago from Grand Tea. I got about five steeps in and got bored. It’s a pretty much a one-note tea, a beautiful note, to be sure, warm, smooth, and spicy, but lacking depth and complexity—no fruit, wood, soil, iron, or camphor, But I paid a lot of money for this tea, and I do love the one note, so I’m back at it today starting with the sixth brew. The big chunk is still intact.16 seconds in the gaiwan gives a sharp almost bitter brew. Maybe there’s more here. P.S. Today this tea blew me away with a powerful medicinal taste—camphor? I’m still trying to sort out wtf happened.

Bulang Shan Xiao Mu Cha, shu, probably @c2006. Dry mouth feel, dark chocolate with some kind of spice. Really tasty. My wife says, “lip smacking good.”

Just started brewing up a 2004 6FTM “gedeng.” I’m trying to decide if I like it or not. It’s strong and smoky. Very smooth with an anise after taste. My wife says it’s like after they finish burning the prairie and it rains and the air is finally clear.

1980s GYG. Last of the GYG beengs. So smooth.

ZSL 2015 Wa Long from Tea Encounter. Syrupy, smooth, juicy, heavy refined sweetness. Not as elegant as 2017 Wan Gong, but has excellent stamina and energy.

2017 Hua Zhu Liang Zi from Yunnan Craft, who describes the tea as having ‘aggressive ba qi.’

Right now, several steeps in and I feel so… heavy… that lumbering klutzy giant feeling, like I’ve not yet developed fine motor skills. This is a strong tea with lots of licorice root overtone to the leaf and liquor aroma. Easy to drink with barnyard taste, aftertaste that’s vaguely fruity-licorice root, throat feels bitey then full and slightly cool. The bitterness and astringency present at first as feelings in the body then transition to effects in the mouth. I like the tea, but the power tells me it’s best left to age.

2003 Qing Teng, Wistaria. Sample from Liquid Proust. 5.5 g in 110 ml gaiwan. I’m glad I went light on this one. The early steeps had a great thick mouthfeel, some bitterness, and an overwhelming sweet licorice taste that I did not enjoy. Later steeps are smooth and sweet with more of a kelpy taste. This one might benefit from yixing.

2006 Xiaguan FT14456-6. I’m surprised how much I like this. It’s not terrible complex. I’m getting something vegetal over a deeper creamy taste. It’s got a great thick mouth feel. 2.9 grams in 60 ml gaiwan.