2012 Xiaguan Toucha Group " Te Ji"

2012 Xiaguan Te Ji Raw Pu-Erh Special grade tightly compressed tuocha is very drinkable for a young sheng puerh.
Astringency(терпкость) – a little
Smoke – medium
Dryness-(mouth) – none
Aftertaste – notes of leather and chewing tobacco
Flavour – medium, even taste, a bit sweet.
Overall value – very nice affordable everyday Pu Erh
Purchase again – From time to time

This is a phenomenal tea for the price. The amazing thing about this tea is the “chi” more than the flavor. It is very energizing, and not just in a caffeine buzz sort of way. If you drink much puerh, you probably have had a similar experience from other tea. Top notch! Would definitely recommend.

Here are my notes (unedited) from the first session with this tea. I have since upped my “dosage” to 8g for my 90ml gaiwan.

Leaf: 6g
Brewing Vessel: 90ml Gaiwan

Rinse – 3s

1: 5s
Much earthier than the Jing Gu from yesterday. Wet leaf has a very sweet smell. Not so much the usual apricot smell… maybe more earthy. I can’t quite pinpoint it.

2: 9s
The wet leaf smells amazing… Dried peaches or something… Very bitter this steep. A lovely astringency. Not very vegetal at all. A bit of an iron-y finish. Malty mouthfeel.

3: 9s
Wet leaf getting a bit more apricot. Very astringent. Delicious malty thickness… this is a really fantastic tea.

4: 10s
Less astringent. Smoothing out a bit. I am expecting the sweetness to come out in 3-4 steeps. After pausing for a while, there definitely is a lingering sweetness in the mouthfeel.

5: 12s
A bit dusty. Thought I caught a hint of sweetness in the background of the first sip. Bitter, but less malty. Deliciously getting a bit vegetal. This is just a phenomenal tea.

6: 15s
Smooth with a light bitterness. A little harshness from the water? Leafy leafiness.

7: 20s
Life changing. Smooth and sweet. Very good. Top notch tea. Absolutely amazing.

8: 25s
Slight sweetness coming through

9: 30s
Flattening out a bit… should have increased 8s or 10s.

10: 42s
Sweet and light. Happy taste.