Official Pu of the day

[Rui]

2016 Tyler sheng from white2tea for today's office session.

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

[jayinhk]

Drinking two 2001 HK traditional storage shengs right now--a 2001 Xiaguan JiaJi and a 2001 CNNP 7542. Both were stored in the same approximate neighborhood, but the 7542 tastes more humid and is still stored in more humid conditions than the Xiaguan. Both teas look similar and brew up nice and dark. Both also have pronounced sweetness already, and even some light date flavor. Traditional storage really has changed both teas up dramatically; to the point where you couldn't tell what the teas were by blind tasting if you'd only experienced the dry storage versions of these teas. Very smooth drinking teas and both very pleasant and easy on the tummy with only very light bitterness remaining.

I can't believe the dealer that sold the CNNP was surprised I was going to drink the sheng by itself--it's perfectly smooth and easy drinking to me. She suggested blending aged 7572 with it! Old school tea heads here like their traditional storage sheng even older than fifteen years old.

[kuánglóng]

I recently fell in love with Bannacha's 2016 Jingmai Miyun. Pu-rists might have an issue with the slightly greener aspect of this sheng, something William mentioned in his short description but my body seems to love this stuff and doesn't give a .... on ageability in this case. I get more than 10 jungle juicy, revitalizing steeps out of 5g/80ml, more than from most of the other teas W. offers on his website. I ordered 2 cakes and some of his other teas and will see how long they are going to last.

[jayinhk]

2016 Yunnan Sourcing Man Lin. This is nice tea. Good, strong flavor--wildflowers, the deep, almost vegetal scent of roses and date in the finish. Bitter, but balanced. The tea lingers on the palate for a good, long while. Very energizing--I swear I felt my testosterone rise when drinking this. Pricey, but I'll consider picking some up since I enjoy drinking it and I know Scott's tested it. I'm on the fourth or fifth infusion (7g/150ml, porcelain easy gaiwan) and it shows no signs of quitting anytime soon. Same deep, rich flavor in every steep. Thanks to Rui for reviewing this stuff on Scott's site!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJO6QNWgVw1 ... =tealifehk

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJO7Iy0gBOO ... =tealifehk

[Rui]

I recently fell in love with Bannacha's 2016 Jingmai Miyun. Pu-rists might have an issue with the slightly greener aspect of this sheng, something William mentioned in his short description but my body seems to love this stuff and doesn't give a .... on ageability in this case. I get more than 10 jungle juicy, revitalizing steeps out of 5g/80ml, more than from most of the other teas W. offers on his website. I ordered 2 cakes and some of his other teas and will see how long they are going to last.

This year I enjoyed their shengs from 'single trees' and gushu leaves including that one but my favourite was Jingmai Gulan which is now sold out unfortunately.

[Rui]

2016 Yunnan Sourcing Man Lin. This is nice tea. Good, strong flavor--wildflowers, the deep, almost vegetal scent of roses and date in the finish. Bitter, but balanced. The tea lingers on the palate for a good, long while. Very energizing--I swear I felt my testosterone rise when drinking this. Pricey, but I'll consider picking some up since I enjoy drinking it and I know Scott's tested it. I'm on the fourth or fifth infusion (7g/150ml, porcelain easy gaiwan) and it shows no signs of quitting anytime soon. Same deep, rich flavor in every steep. Thanks to Rui for reviewing this stuff on Scott's site!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJO6QNWgVw1 ... =tealifehk

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJO7Iy0gBOO ... =tealifehk

On my side I have also liked a sample of that tree so I have ordered a cake which I received yesterday.

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

Today was the turn of the 2012 Gedeng tea from the same series of cakes. Very nice too.

[kuánglóng]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

I have that set somewhere on my shopping list, Rui. How do you like the other five cakes if I may ask?

I'm drinking some of William's 2014 DXS right now. Nothing overly complex or dynamic but a nice daily drinker with some interesting almost DJ like first flush notes, pretty thick texture and gentle, calming qi - I was lucky to get his last cake
...

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

Today was the turn of the 2012 Gedeng tea from the same series of cakes. Very nice too.

Sipping the third tea of the series: Yibang this time around. Also a very nice mild tea.

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

I have that set somewhere on my shopping list, Rui. How do you like the other five cakes if I may ask?
...

So far I have only tasted the teas from Yiwu, Gedeng and Yibang mountains. I bought the 6 samples a week ago or so.

They are all aromatic, mild tasting, medium liquor body, no smoking detected or other undesirable (imho) tastes. They no longer taste the typical apricot taste of young shengs of up to 3 years old but they are not old enough to possibly develop any significant sweeter tastes, etc. They are on that intermediary period. They have been stored in a way that have not developed any undesirable aromas either. The leaves are fairly loose and they were easy to separate for individual steepings.

If I get the cakes I am going to let them store further for them to develop for another 5 or 6 years.

[kuánglóng]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

I have that set somewhere on my shopping list, Rui. How do you like the other five cakes if I may ask?
...

So far I have only tasted the teas from Yiwu, Gedeng and Yibang mountains. I bought the 6 samples a week ago or so.

They are all aromatic, mild tasting, medium liquor body, no smoking detected or other undesirable (imho) tastes. They no longer taste the typical apricot taste of young shengs of up to 3 years old but they are not old enough to possibly develop any significant sweeter tastes, etc. They are on that intermediary period. They have been stored in a way that have not developed any undesirable aromas either. The leaves are fairly loose and they were easy to separate for individual steepings.

If I get the cakes I am going to let them store further for them to develop for another 5 or 6 years.

Thanks, Rui. I really like 100g cakes and tuos, much better than those 400-500g monsters (imho) and Tierre de Ciel has quite a lot of them to choose from - nice to hear they're not that uber compressed. Looking forward to placing an order this weekend, can't wait to try their two Kunlus and 2015 Yibang.

I'm drinking some of William's 2014 Wuliang Yi Xang right now. As usual 5g/80ml (or less H2O) and I second W's remark on the freshness in the throat but like yesterdays DXS it's not the most expressive tea of the bunch taste wise. Anyway, I do like the long perfumy aftertaste from those leaves, the soft mood-lifting energy and my stomach doesn't have too much to complain about this time around.

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

Today was the turn of the 2012 Gedeng tea from the same series of cakes. Very nice too.

Today I am sipping tea from the Manzhuang cake of the same series. A bit more flavourful than the previous ones (or did I use more leaves?) still smooth, very mild and lightly sweet.

[Rui]

Sipping a very nice 2012 Yiwu from Terre de Ciel in France. This 100gms cake is part of a set of 6 cakes from 6 different mountains.

Today was the turn of the 2012 Gedeng tea from the same series of cakes. Very nice too.

Today I am sipping tea from the Manzhuang cake of the same series. A bit more flavourful than the previous ones (or did I use more leaves?) still smooth, very mild and lightly sweet.

Today I am sipping the 5th of the 6 mountain teas: Mangzhi. Aromatic, light flavoured and with a sweet aftertaste.

[gasninja]

This evening while digging through old samples I found an excellent 1996 Menghai 7542. The storage couldn't have been more perfect for this tea. I think that I received this sample in 2012. It has been wrapped in a paper bag so it has continued to age. Nice hui gan and a physically relaxing yet mentally stimulating Qi.

The fourth infusion brings that classic plum taste. Yum

I rarely drink puerh that is this mature in the summer months. But it is cooler tonight. SO This is a treat.