How many of you do this and what were your results like? What teas did you use?
I have some older loose sheng that I would like to be a little more fragrant and complex in flavour. I was thinking maybe mix with some 2003 hk henry from houde. What do you all think? (I'm going to try anyways, but opinions are interesting/important). I will start out half and half.
How about very young sheng? I have none so I can not try this. But first guess is that with a larger ratio of old this could turn out calming,smooth,fruity, and flowery without too much harshness and bite.
Re: mixing older with younger
1980's WangZi loose leaf sheng puerh + 2006 2nd SouthEast Asia Puerh Trade Memorial Cake
roughly half and half
The 2006 has a strange smell that I'm guessing is due to transitional aging. This makes it not very enjoyable by itself. When combined this smell pretty much dissapears and what I get is inkstick and other smells I have come to associate with sheng from 90's.
Very good lasting aromatics, lasting flavour, darker red, good bite which turns into something else pretty quick, things are much more complex, my overall enjoyment has doubled when compared to drinking either alone.
Tried this mix again towards midnight same day, this time things did not go so well. Why? Perhaps I didn't put enough young in this time, the bite was gone, the sweetness toned down, so was aroma, and not as lasting
in aftertaste. Maybe it was because I was brewing for someone else too. Maybe it was because I didn't do as thorough a preheat as before. Maybe it was because I didn't get a nice swirl with enough force on the first infusion...the pour was not very good on the first not very fluid either...I used a different cup...I was not directly facing the pot when brewing...lol....who freaking knows I think I am over thinking a little bit on this one...
Go #3
more bite but not nearly as long lasting as #1, think this time too little leaf for size of pot, as well as too much young, not nearly on same level as #1 but better (to me) then #2. My parameters are completely guesstimation so not much concrete conclusion to be drawn from all this...still something is retained.
roughly half and half
The 2006 has a strange smell that I'm guessing is due to transitional aging. This makes it not very enjoyable by itself. When combined this smell pretty much dissapears and what I get is inkstick and other smells I have come to associate with sheng from 90's.
Very good lasting aromatics, lasting flavour, darker red, good bite which turns into something else pretty quick, things are much more complex, my overall enjoyment has doubled when compared to drinking either alone.
Tried this mix again towards midnight same day, this time things did not go so well. Why? Perhaps I didn't put enough young in this time, the bite was gone, the sweetness toned down, so was aroma, and not as lasting
in aftertaste. Maybe it was because I was brewing for someone else too. Maybe it was because I didn't do as thorough a preheat as before. Maybe it was because I didn't get a nice swirl with enough force on the first infusion...the pour was not very good on the first not very fluid either...I used a different cup...I was not directly facing the pot when brewing...lol....who freaking knows I think I am over thinking a little bit on this one...
Go #3
more bite but not nearly as long lasting as #1, think this time too little leaf for size of pot, as well as too much young, not nearly on same level as #1 but better (to me) then #2. My parameters are completely guesstimation so not much concrete conclusion to be drawn from all this...still something is retained.
Oct 28th, '11, 12:40
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Re: mixing older with younger
I do it on occasion. I have a tin that I put 'shag' in when I don't have enough to brew. I mix both age and young at times. Waste not want not! 