Tonight I had the good fortune to have a session tasting this tea. According to most guide book sources, this brick was the first to be produced under the Dayi label in 1994. It was most exciting indeed, but alas, I have no photographs from the event as it was quite impromptu and funnily enough, I didn't have my camera with me.
Here are some mental notes:
Tea brick looked and felt firm and well compacted.
Dry, well stored.
No hint of 'damp' or 'mustiness' on the nose, very clean smelling.
Chunks were pried off in good sizes, about 25mm across, and 12 grams were brewed in a 300cc pot. And what a cute goldfish pot it was too.
We made two washes, to speed up the 'opening' process, colour was deep red, clear and fragrant.
We drank the 3rd brew, and it was a revelation. Full bodied, velvety, and containing a good chewy taste of malt and notes of dust and camphor. The hui gan was deep and robust.
It was consistent for around 4 more brews thereafter, at around 15-20 seconds each, before requiring more time, and beginning to fade around the 12th brew mark.
Not as patient as a very serious CNNP Ripe Beeng I'd recently acquired, and costing almost double, so I think it needs a bit more time in slightly warmer conditions, and perhaps a touch more ventilation.
Nevertheless, I'm eagerly waiting till tomorrow to find out if I've managed to secure some stock of this at around USD43.00 per brick. If I'm lucky, I'll get five, if not, just a couple or none. In any case, at least I know where I can pinch a bit should it be required
May 27th, '09, 14:05
Posts: 1936
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hop_goblin
Re: First Batch Dayi Menghai Pu Erh Tea Brick 1994
Is it the Semi-cooked brick?Jedi wrote:Tonight I had the good fortune to have a session tasting this tea. According to most guide book sources, this brick was the first to be produced under the Dayi label in 1994. It was most exciting indeed, but alas, I have no photographs from the event as it was quite impromptu and funnily enough, I didn't have my camera with me.
Here are some mental notes:
Tea brick looked and felt firm and well compacted.
Dry, well stored.
No hint of 'damp' or 'mustiness' on the nose, very clean smelling.
Chunks were pried off in good sizes, about 25mm across, and 12 grams were brewed in a 300cc pot. And what a cute goldfish pot it was too.
We made two washes, to speed up the 'opening' process, colour was deep red, clear and fragrant.
We drank the 3rd brew, and it was a revelation. Full bodied, velvety, and containing a good chewy taste of malt and notes of dust and camphor. The hui gan was deep and robust.
It was consistent for around 4 more brews thereafter, at around 15-20 seconds each, before requiring more time, and beginning to fade around the 12th brew mark.
Not as patient as a very serious CNNP Ripe Beeng I'd recently acquired, and costing almost double, so I think it needs a bit more time in slightly warmer conditions, and perhaps a touch more ventilation.
Nevertheless, I'm eagerly waiting till tomorrow to find out if I've managed to secure some stock of this at around USD43.00 per brick. If I'm lucky, I'll get five, if not, just a couple or none. In any case, at least I know where I can pinch a bit should it be required
Don't always believe what you think!
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http://englishtea.us/
http://www.ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com
http://englishtea.us/
May 27th, '09, 17:53
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
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hop_goblin
I have half of a 94 brick that was sold to me as semi-cooked. It is also a nice brick.Jedi wrote:Nope, this brick is cooked, from an examination of the wet leaves, but there's just something in the flavour and colour later on, but no raw leaves in there in the mix.
A sweet and potent tea that can only firm up more with extended storage with a chance to breathe.
Cheers,
Lee
Don't always believe what you think!
http://www.ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com
http://englishtea.us/
http://www.ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com
http://englishtea.us/
Bill, (sorry I got you mixed up with Hobbes in another post)
Do you have a picture of the wrapper? I can check it against a Menghai Dayi reference book I have access to.
How do the leaves look after brewing? Can you tell from there whether there are any raw leaves in the mix?
When semi cooked is mentioned, generally we think of blends of cooked and raw pu erh, such as 7572, 8892, etc etc. 7582 (which the Dayi First Batch is composed of) is always referred to as a cooked Pu Erh.
Cheers,
Lee
Do you have a picture of the wrapper? I can check it against a Menghai Dayi reference book I have access to.
How do the leaves look after brewing? Can you tell from there whether there are any raw leaves in the mix?
When semi cooked is mentioned, generally we think of blends of cooked and raw pu erh, such as 7572, 8892, etc etc. 7582 (which the Dayi First Batch is composed of) is always referred to as a cooked Pu Erh.
Cheers,
Lee
May 27th, '09, 23:29
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
Location: Trapped inside a bamboo tong!
Contact:
hop_goblin
Hi Lee, I actually do.. Here are a few. I took these when I first bought it for my blog.Jedi wrote:Bill, (sorry I got you mixed up with Hobbes in another post)
Do you have a picture of the wrapper? I can check it against a Menghai Dayi reference book I have access to.
How do the leaves look after brewing? Can you tell from there whether there are any raw leaves in the mix?
When semi cooked is mentioned, generally we think of blends of cooked and raw pu erh, such as 7572, 8892, etc etc. 7582 (which the Dayi First Batch is composed of) is always referred to as a cooked Pu Erh.
Cheers,
Lee
Bill,
It's the same as the one I tasted as far as I can tell from the wrapper and the image in the book (we'd compared them last night too when we had our session), and your photos posted here...
...Except for one difference, which is the appearance of the leaves when wet. The tea we drunk had no sign of raw leaves, or less fermented leaves. But the flavour was clearer and more complex than most shu pu's.
Thanks for the photos. I'll try to get some shots of the one we drank later over the weekend.
As for now, I'm consoling myself with a pot of 2007 7581...
Cheers!!
It's the same as the one I tasted as far as I can tell from the wrapper and the image in the book (we'd compared them last night too when we had our session), and your photos posted here...
...Except for one difference, which is the appearance of the leaves when wet. The tea we drunk had no sign of raw leaves, or less fermented leaves. But the flavour was clearer and more complex than most shu pu's.
Thanks for the photos. I'll try to get some shots of the one we drank later over the weekend.
As for now, I'm consoling myself with a pot of 2007 7581...
Cheers!!
May 28th, '09, 01:50
Posts: 196
Joined: May 1st, '09, 22:28
Location: Malaysia
Contact:
oldmanteapot
Re: First Batch Dayi Menghai Pu Erh Tea Brick 1994
Yo Jedi-san!Jedi wrote:Nevertheless, I'm eagerly waiting till tomorrow to find out if I've managed to secure some stock of this at around USD43.00 per brick. If I'm lucky, I'll get five, if not, just a couple or none. In any case, at least I know where I can pinch a bit should it be required
Looks like you're on a shopping spree of late... hehehe...
I found some young sheng bricks for aging too. Too many aged ones are not friendly to the pocket.. lolz.
Don't finish your stash..... save some for aging...Jedi wrote:As for now, I'm consoling myself with a pot of 2007 7581...
Cheers!
Yes... it's what sets shu aside from shoes, this clarity through the fog of fermentation, but it's also a nice trick employed by some of the factories:
- varying degrees of fermentation or cooking of different batches of leaves prior to blending
- addition of some sheng maocha to the mix
- skillful and eclectic blending
and voila... best of both worlds....
- varying degrees of fermentation or cooking of different batches of leaves prior to blending
- addition of some sheng maocha to the mix
- skillful and eclectic blending
and voila... best of both worlds....