2006 Xiaguan Tibetan Flame Brick (06年下关宝焰砖)

Thought I’d update this tasting log. For the last few weeks I’ve been doing all of my brewing in a gaiwan instead of a yixing. After drink a couple of steeps I reviewed my previous tasting note from about a year ago. This tea really seems to be aging, the color of the dry leaves have changed from a green hue to a very shu like brown appearance. As I mentioned before, the leave material is heavily processed meaning that the brick is made up of material in tiny pieces almost like it was run through a mulching lawn mower , but it still brews a very clean orange cup ut will gather a bit of sedimentation in the bottom of the cup. One thing that I noted this time that I did not mention before is the smokey aroma of the wet leaves. The astringency is all but gone and the tea is now much smoother than what I recall and has lost a lot of the young sheng characteristics. Not sure but I’m guessing the mellowing has to do with the size of the material in the brick. Also the leaves seem to give up after just 4 or 5 infusions but those first five are very enjoyable, a smooth feeling hat envelops the mouth, with apricot present and some flavors of a tippy black tea. I’m finishing with my sixth infusion now doing a very long 2+ minute steep to see if I can get just one last cup out of it. Nope.

Often purchasing a quality pu’erh is on par with ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ (#Alice in Wonderland).
Fortunately Tibetan Flame is a well-known product from the Xia Guan Factory in Yunnan. This brand was specially developed in 1941 for export to Tibet. The logotype displays the most important colours for Buddhists, as well as the meaningful symbols and images. This tea brick is of high quality.
As soon as we broke open the package, we were transported. Back to the Himalayas. We breathed in the earthiness of the trail and noted the dried yak dung lingering in the air; then came the musty aroma of the donkeys and yaks sweaty from the challenging climbs; and then we entered the hillside community, tea houses billowing smoke from their stone chimneys mingling with tobacco and dry hay notes; finally we sat and enjoyed a sweet lemon tea, the fragrance swirling around and mixing with the uniqueness of this environment.
The taste of the tea did not disappoint either. Brewed for under a minute, the first infusion was medium intensity, without bitterness. The flavour profile was earth and sweet nuts, with a subtle citrus note. The after-taste is a lingering sweetness. After a few infusions, the addition of an apricot note was a pleasant surprise.
The Tibetan Flame bricks have earned a good reputation amongst tea drinkers who are seeking a pu’erh that’s affordable, strong and ages quickly. Give it a go!