by puyuan » Dec 9th, '14, 07:59
Still trying a bunch of samples and newly-arrived cakes. Tried the CYH Bingdao (2014) two days ago. So massively impressive in some respects and so disappointing in others. While the "chaqi" was on the strong side and the aftertaste/cooling were beyond ridiculous and unending, the top flavour is really, really awkward. The aftertaste and throat activity I won't be forgetting soon, but I wouldn't buy this tea for aging even if it cost a 10th of its price.
Had a very disappointing couple of sessions with a pure gushu tea from an artisan (not just of puerh) I'm a huge fan of. I knew this 2013 version wasn't the best available, but this doesn't have a single redeeming quality or strong point. It did teach me a lesson. Before it was all cool, mr. Z started dividing up the maocha from the garden he uses (owns?) into gushu, qiaomu and young tree. The catch is that back then he had the age of the trees estimated and felt that anything under 300-something/400 years shouldn't be called ancient, so the qiaomu cake is actually more gushu than most gushu on the market, and the gushu is very old tree material indeed, though there is tactfully no notice of that anywhere in the cakes or elsewhere. The garden is pristine, eco-friendly, the soil is rich, and the adjacent area has a huge name and commands a huge price. This gushu tea, however, sucks, and loses in every aspect to the xiaoshu sibling from the year before, which is also excellent for aging. I remember being very highly impressed by other incarnations of this, so I'm hoping it was just a particularly poor year. Otherwise, it's not always the size of the tree in the fight, but the size of the fight in the tree.
(Liubao is meant for here too, right?) Just had an early 90s three cranes tuo. I have been liking these daily-drinking grade factory liubaos less and less, the ones produced post-90s that is... This one made me feel awkward and I think gave me a slight allergy. Would have much rather bought one of the CNNP for export black boxed ones at a similar price.
Finally, just started a comparative tasting of all my Bohetangs teas, and some that I assume are either from there or are geographically related.