Master Han's 2010 Silver Buds Old Growth Sheng

Last night I restrung one of my Harps, staying up until 3am to get the job done. This afternoon I knew I wanted some Sheng, & this was the only selection from the Sept Reserve TOMC I hadn’t tried. So I’ve been enjoying this all afternoon. I don’t really have much to say about it, other than it’s pleasant, lightly sweet, & I can taste the similarities between this & Master Han’s Wild picked Yunnan. While I was sipping it I was practicing Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” for a performance the first week of Dec. I was retuning my Harp over & over again, because new strings take forever to settle down. I was returning phone calls, & booked a gig for May. I was talking to a potential new student. I was doing other things too. Next time I’ll try to be still, so that I have more to share.

Sipdown, 123. Last sheng, this is the youngest.

Through today and my recent serious of shu tastings, I think I’ve pinpointed why puerh doesn’t do it for me. To me, puerh is a supremely savory type of tea. Shengs are leafy, like cooked spinach, pine needles, or perhaps fallen autumn leaves. Shus are earthy, woody, oaky, like bourbon barrels without the inherant sweetness of the bourbon. It’s funny, because the tasting notes for these teas often mention a candy-like sweetness, but I’ve never taste it. Maybe one day.

This one is interesting because it tastes initially like spinach and salad greens, but there is a floral note that comes out in the aftertaste long after drinking. Lilacs and/or osmanthus, like a lovely green oolong. I have come across this aftertaste in another sheng, and I really do enjoy it. Maybe that floral aftertaste will be the thing that draws me into puerhs eventually. My tea palate is always changing, after all!