2014 Gu Ming Xiang "Bu Lang Tribute Cake" Ripe Pu-erh Tea

Sipping on this sample from Togo as a digestive. Tonight’s menu was mapo tofu. It was my first time using shelf-stable silken tofu and it was actually great!

This is a pretty light and very clean shou flavor-wise despite brewing up very dark. I’m not getting much beyond alkaline earth, clean wet basement cement, a bit of malt-stale bread and minerals. There is a hint of a fruit I can’t place that seems almost like prickly pear. Tingly mouthfeel after the swallow. Like Togo, I did not experience cha qi. More of a caffeinating than a relaxing shou.

The oily body is the saving grace of this tea. It makes the ensuing dryness and sour aftertaste almost worth it. It’s an ok tea but not something I’d purchase. I like more depth to my shou.

This is the lightest shou I have encountered to date. It is surprisingly delicate with no strong flavours or aromas, medium body and I didn’t really feel any cha qi either, despite what Scott writes in the description. I even forgot about the fourth infusion (which is usually one of the strongest) for several minutes. Still, there was almost no bitterness. Instead I got some umami coming out. The mouthfeel was smoother and bubbly, rather than numbing and watery with shorter steeps. As for particular notes, I picked up berries and other fruits in the smell and aftertaste, as well as some malt. The taste is mostly sweet, but nothing overpowering, as you could probably guess.

All in all, this is a tea that is strangely memorable for its lack of any memorable aspects. Nothing really stands out. Nevertheless, it is tasty and has some nuances to be explored, mostly in the mouthfeel. I am curious how it will perform with a simmer, which I plan to do at the end of this session.