TeaChat

Filled my 100ml gaiwan up to 3/4 with dry leafs from the +- 10 year old wenshan baozhong and started brewing with boiling water. The first infusions was astonishing, lots of raisins and prunes going on there, very fragnant. The next infusions still preserve those deep flavours but stay clean and crisp in the mouth, only downside that it feels slightly too flat. Brewing this tea makes me feel relaxed in mind and body. This is 'only' the 10 years old... i'm curious what the older, more traditional styles will bring!

Thank you Tony for giving us the chance to try such great teas side by side

tenuki wrote:A couple of links I dug up on the history of baozhong to read while you sample.

http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xIt ... &mp=100002

http://www.doed.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xI ... &mp=10500J

Thanks!

Today it's the 10 years WenShan.

I really like this one, its free from smoke but complex and a little sweet.

Anyone receive their package for the 2nd round?
Still waiting patiently (somewhat) for my package to arrive.
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since my package has left Taiwan.It spent a little time in West Virginia before headed to Chicago, where it's been since Saturday.
Seems a long route to Seattle.Taiwan>W.Virginia>Chicago>hopefully Seattle!!

nw-T wrote:Anyone receive their package for the 2nd round?
Still waiting patiently (somewhat) for my package to arrive.
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since my package has left Taiwan.It spent a little time in West Virginia before headed to Chicago, where it's been since Saturday.
Seems a long route to Seattle.Taiwan>W.Virginia>Chicago>hopefully Seattle!!

I got mine rather promptly.

This is very strange. Does anyone know if something is happening in Chicago? Another person's pacakge got stuck in Chicago for 10 days now!

SilentChaos wrote:This is very strange. Does anyone know if something is happening in Chicago? Another person's pacakge got stuck in Chicago for 10 days now!

Not that I have heard of, but I have had a few packages in the past 5 months completely stall in Chicago for an extended time. One time it was even EMS that usually gets to me in 3 or 4 days, and it sat at Chicago customs for 14 days before it finally made its way out of there.

Brewing up the 20years nangang, it's a bit more sour than the 10 year wenshan perhaps because it hasn't been reroasted recently?
Lots of raisin in the aftertaste and sour fruits in the mouth. Packed my 100ml gaiwan till the rim (Almost half of the package :p), first 4 infusions were outstanding. After that, it starts to loose its thick mouthfeel and becomes a bit flat. Going to give it a rest now and return to the session later. I don't know how some manage to spend days with such tea, I think it has 10-15 infusions at most... or I just lack tastebuds

Received my package recently. Thanks Tony for the opportunity to sample teas from across the decades. So far these teas make a good focus for meditation.

Some thoughts and pictures: http://edkimages.blogspot.com/2013/05/o ... zhong.html

I've only tried 10,20,'84 so far but also like the '84 the most till now. The 20y feels a bit too sour for me and while the 10y old is excellent for the first 3 infusions, it lacks depth in the later ones.

It's nice to see them side to side in a tasting set up like yours. Very curious about the high fired one and I'm quite sure I will shed away a tear when drinking the '67, it's as old as my mother!

I drank the last f the 1984 today.

I REALLY NEED some more... it was so amazing!

The 67 really tastes like nice aged puerh ... at first...but after a few infusions it starts to become more like an oolong. I still have a lot left. can't wait to drink it again.

Enjoying the 20 year old. (10g in 110 ml gaiwan)
Nice lingering dried stone fruit. Has much more personality than the 10 yo.

A second steeping revealed a fair amount of tamarind-like sourness. Not overpowering, but enough to make it interesting. Reminds me also of apricot fruit roll-ups.

The back of my throat is pretty well covered after only two steepings. Looking forward to seeing how this continues to evolve.

My package is still hanging out in Chicago.It's been there since May 11th.
I'm guessing it's just the laziness of the Good Ol' USPO!!

nw-T wrote:My package is still hanging out in Chicago.It's been there since May 11th.
I'm guessing it's just the laziness of the Good Ol' USPO!!

My package made its rounds around from Chicago (after being stuck for 12 days) to Boston to New Hampshire before magically reappearing today at Chicago (I live in Chicago). I'm crossing my fingers it gets delivered today ;_;

EDIT: Received it today... Finally

So far the two that I have had are worlds different. the ~10 year old was sweeter though also far more sour, while initially very very interesting, I felt it lost its luster in a hurry.

This 1984 came on strong. first infusion tasted way more aged than the first, no where near as sweet, and a definite hit of tartness. Aroma though is far more complex and incredibly interesting.

While the 1984 has a lot more complexity, I think currently I feel far better about the ~10 year old, sometimes simple is better.