Okay guys, after being a shu head for all of my Pu-erh journey, I tried a young sheng today...real young by anyone's standards I guess. This one:
2007 Yiwu Yongpinhao Fall Harvest Pu-erh Tea
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=388
I tried brewing it the first time western style (way too bitter) so am doing it gong-fu now. 3g of tea in a 3oz. pot. 20 second rinse, then 15s, 10, 15, 20 and so on. On the 5th infusion right now and all infusions so far have had this strange numbing effect on my tongue/mouth. I think I've read about this somewhere here before, but can't remember. Is this a common trait in young sheng? Maybe I'm describing it wrong...
I like the taste, etc.
Thanks for any help,
EW
Oct 13th, '08, 16:04
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Oct 13th, '08, 16:09
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What you are experience is the teas Qi, or energy. This is completely normal. It is actually a trait I search for in a cake. Sometimes you can even get a light headed feeling and feel really good, some call it "tea high". Qi can make you sweaty, shake, make your hand swell and go numb and many other things. Give this a read, you might find it interesting.
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/01/ ... ssion.html
Just sit back and enjoy your healthy form of "high"
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/01/ ... ssion.html
Just sit back and enjoy your healthy form of "high"
Oct 13th, '08, 17:21
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Some of this sounds like neurological symptoms or effects. I bet any research on this is only in Chinese. Anyone know anything about it?shogun89 wrote:What you are experience is the teas Qi, or energy. This is completely normal. It is actually a trait I search for in a cake. Sometimes you can even get a light headed feeling and feel really good, some call it "tea high". Qi can make you sweaty, shake, make your hand swell and go numb and many other things. Give this a read, you might find it interesting.
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/01/ ... ssion.html
Just sit back and enjoy your healthy form of "high"
Oct 13th, '08, 18:56
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Oct 13th, '08, 18:59
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I just finished another couple of cups and had my wife try it too. She loved it (hates shu) and noticed the same numbing mouthfeel. If you don't hear from me after this, it was probably pesticides we were enjoying.Salsero wrote:I don't recall cha qi described as a "numbing effect on the tongue/mouth." I may have to dig out my AoT #2 and try to actually read through that whole article.
... and for sure I am brewing that tea tonight!
Oct 13th, '08, 20:50
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Oct 13th, '08, 20:54
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Well I am hardly an expert on qi since I am at least a little skeptical about it. But I do have some of that brick. I have measured it out, and will be fiddling with it tonight. If you never hear from me or omegapd ... or his wife ... again, send lilies ... they are very appropriate.shogun89 wrote: And as Qi is "energy" I am just assuming here.
Oct 13th, '08, 23:48
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I am afraid that it is not cha qi. Numbing is generally due to inferior mao cha. Some growths are not suited for pu'er however this does not stop manufactuers from using this type of Mao cha. For future reference, you will never find a brick, beeng tuo made of Yiwu mao cha for 5 bucks and change. Probably has a very minimal amount of Yiwu mao cha if any. What makes this even more shocking is that it is fall harvest. Fall harvest are generally less aggressive than you would find in a spring harvest. That said, even if it were spring Yiwu, I would be shocked if it numbed my entire mouth and I am using the term "aggressive" loosly. The Yiwu flavor profile generally is sweet with a nice huigan. How you described it is not what one would expect from Yiwu.
Oct 14th, '08, 00:05
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2007 Yiwu Yongpinhao Fall Harvest
OK, I am on infusion #7 after using the same leaf-to-water ratio as Omegapd, doing no rinse, and 15 s, 20 s, 25 s, 30 s, 45 s, 1 m, 90 s. Once again I am impressed with what a nice tea this is at 2¢ per gram! The things that stand out for me are
I think I figured out what you are describing as a numbing effect, though this tea exhibits less of these negatives than much young puerh. There is a series of sensations that I generally refer to as rough, astringent, and drying (on various parts or all of the mouth and tongue). I suspect that one or a combination of these sensations--present to a modest degree--is what you are describing as numbing. It's akin to the numbing of eating Concord (or even more so, Beta) grapes. Were I not looking for it, I don't think I would have even noticed it, since I have experienced so much worse, but my buccal and lingual tissue does not feel 100% normal.
If the sensation bothers you, don't worry. Set it aside and in 3 to 5 years I predict the numbing sensation will be almost completely gone and the beginnings of a cherry pie or sweet plum taste will be setting in. The more exposure the brick has to the sanguine South Georgia humidity, the quicker that should happen.
- 1) sweet and a little viscous
2) quite smooth for such a young pu
3) a bit of nice aftertaste
4) taste of mushroom, maybe nuts
5) fifth infusion turning a bit fruity.
I think I figured out what you are describing as a numbing effect, though this tea exhibits less of these negatives than much young puerh. There is a series of sensations that I generally refer to as rough, astringent, and drying (on various parts or all of the mouth and tongue). I suspect that one or a combination of these sensations--present to a modest degree--is what you are describing as numbing. It's akin to the numbing of eating Concord (or even more so, Beta) grapes. Were I not looking for it, I don't think I would have even noticed it, since I have experienced so much worse, but my buccal and lingual tissue does not feel 100% normal.
If the sensation bothers you, don't worry. Set it aside and in 3 to 5 years I predict the numbing sensation will be almost completely gone and the beginnings of a cherry pie or sweet plum taste will be setting in. The more exposure the brick has to the sanguine South Georgia humidity, the quicker that should happen.
Oct 14th, '08, 04:28
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Oct 14th, '08, 11:58
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