32 Tasting Notes
Very tender in the mouth accompanied by a calming, but intense, qi. Aromas of sweetgrass, mustiness, buttermilk. Very pungeant and bittersweet as it opens up. Strong mouth salivation and thickness, deep in the throat.
Turns rather uninteresting around the 7th steep. Bitterness with no other noticeable flavors.
Preparation
Brewed in a gaiwan,
Fresh green latte aroma. The gaiwan lid is milky and grassy. Silky smooth to start, transitions nicely into a bittersweet liquor. I, being such a huge fan of matcha latte, find this to be a very unique and exciting tea. Not like most of the teas I have tried, it has a special aroma and texture that fills and coats my pallet.
I seriously enjoyed this tea for what it is. My taste may be a little less selective for these types of teas, but either way it was enjoyable to say the least.
Preparation
Candy sweet smokey aroma. Strong bitterness and qi off of the first two cups. Bitterness evens out, but still comes strong through 4-5th steeps. Bitterness falls off completely after 6th steep, only light sweet smoke remains—like a xiaguan tuocha almost. Clean throatiness and a slight roasted taste.
Preparation
Starting off from the first sip, I can tell I am in for a fun ride. This tea does not lack in fullness, bitterness, or sweetness. A musty undertone delivers a punch which echoes into a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers. The aroma on the lid of the gaiwan is somewhat astringent and somewhat nutty, very pleasant… Flavors ranging from sweet grass to nuts. Thick soup and great mouthfeel. Really enjoying this one.
Sinking more of this into my belly, it is apparent that the cha qi is tingly. This tea is very well balanced with awesome characteristics. There are great transitions from steep to steep that gravitate me towards brewing more and more. The strength in the leaves continue to pack powerful mouth-watering and qi sensations throughout the session. Although the bitterness calms down after the 5th or 6th steep there is still fullness in each of the lasting brews.
I feel vigilant, prepared, and kind of sweaty. The qi is reaching out and pushing me to go on, so I do. It is for sure going to be a fun next couple of hours. What a delight.
Preparation
Strangest dry leaf smell of smokey BBQ. The first few steeps aren’t very nice. Smoked candy is how I would describe it, but the smoke was too powerful for how sweet it is. After the initial steeps the smokiness takes a back seat to the sweetness.
As far as smokey teas go, this one stands out as being above average. When compared to xiaguan and other “smokey” factory tea, this one has more depth and a more synergistic appeal.
I enjoyed this one for well over 15 steeps and, as far as I am concerned, I’m only half way to the end of this one.
Preparation
There must be some difference in Puerh.sks supply of cakes. I drank this last night and didn’t find the smoke too overpowering. Yes it was smoky but not more than I could handle. Boychik reported that it was overpoweringly smoky. Maybe some cakes received more smoke than others.
I just have a sample and I didn’t really air it out or anything before sticking it in the teapot. I kind of felt like the smoke:sweetness ratio was off for the initial steeps, not that it was overpowering. Just out of sync, until it mellows out.
The more tea from Scott’s 2015 pressing I try the more I want to make an order. This one is no exception. Good qi, great mouthfeel, and easy to drink.
The flavors aren’t overpowering in one direction or the other. This is more like a well-rounded, consistently smooth, drink. Mild astringency, mild floral notes, and mild bitterness. These traits compile to make a very drinkable and friendly liquor each steep.
After about 8 steeps this one turns bittersweet and is refreshingly consistent.
Preparation
Fantastic tea! This one makes me run back to the gaiwan. Energy overflows out of every cup. My heart is pounding and I am starting to sweat after just 3 steeps, now that’s power.
It tastes of green hay accompanied by mild bitterness. The mouthfeel after each cup is a testament to the power of this tea, as it remains for several minutes.
Each brew gets sweeter and sweeter. The wet leaves have a slight musty scent to them.
Preparation
Ah, one of them ;)
i don’t think i tried a gu shu yet
Yep, this so far my favorite of Scott’s. I’m loving it right now, but I think this one will develop more texture with age. I might get a 3rd cake…
Oddly, I seem to be somewhat immune to its power as it tends to spread more evenly in my body than, say, Mengku shengs.
I have another week of pumidoring before I break this one out.
That is going to be one long week
Indeed. Actually about 4 days. I been marking the calendar.
Yeah, it was definitely a countdown for me before the water hit the leaves. I put it aside again for 2 weeks and there are already obvious improvements in mouth feel, cooling/numding, and floral sweetness.
It was worth the wait wasn’t it.
I really like this one as well – I want a cake but money is an issue right now!
My new ones are coming out soon. The pumi time is almost over.
what process is that – airing or moisture? im interested how it affects the flavour as some of mine are quite dry, and I think I might have preferred them a while ago, not sure if thats just my taste changing or not
I just try to let them re-hydrate a bit in the pumidor. I found that most need a bit of time to wake up after the shipping process. I try to give at least one week to them. For things that take a couple of months to get here about 2 weeks.
does it affect taste or more to stop turning to dust?
I think both. They normally brew better and the aromas are much nicer as well. They go from dry and cold to warm and happy. The microbes on it are alive as we are.
@kevdog19, have you tried Yunnan sourcing’s monthly tea club yet?
Microbes! Kirk… I am subscribed to Scott’s tea club. Big fan because I get the chance to sample pretty much all his pressings. Love the quality:price ratio that Scott represents with the YS brand.
@Mrmopar, I recently created my own pumidor and started increasing the humidity levels in my room too. I noticed marked improvements in all the young sheng I’ve tried since then. Perhaps Im not exposed to enough puer lit, bur this certainly should be written about and articulated more thoroughly.
@Kevdog19, awesome
Having them in a pumidor does wonders for them.
A bitter start leaves for a smooth finish. This tea is energetic and fiery coming out of the gate, but quickly eases out and develops soft notes of fruit and mineral, or soil-like, after taste. The bitterness disappears after about 3 or 4 steeps. Very easy to drink and a well rounded tea. Thick soup and soft flavors.
Next time I want to try this in yixing and see what flavors surface.
Preparation
This one has a very strong and enveloping energy right off the bat. Through the first, say about, 5 steeps this one seems to have a lot of potential. Although it falls off rather quick and leaves a strong bitter sweetness to end the session.
Overall not a very exciting tea, but has signs of an exceptional tea. Not overly encapsulating, which I find popular amongst a few Mengku factory teas.
