Official Pu of the day

[debunix]

Today my burnt mouth recovered enough to try the oldest sample I got from Essence of Tea last month, the 1960s (early) Guang Yun Gong Puerh.

This is a very expensive tea, so I wanted to be well prepared. I finished lunch 30 minutes before tasting, brushed teeth without toothpaste, rinsed mouth with plain water—didn’t want anything to interfere with the taste of the tea.

1.4 grams of tea in tiny gaiwan
30mL water per infusion (used a very small measuring cup)

Water boiling or near boiling (205-212 per the thermometer when poured from the kettle)

Flash rinse

Wet leaves smell like forest floor—sweet clean compost scent

first infusion 15 seconds
earthy like the scent promised, but surprisingly strong sweet and spicy notes right up there with it

2nd infusion 20 seconds
earthy, caramel, sweet, spicy, very very very nice

3rd infusion 25 seconds
About the same as the 2nd infusion, a bit stronger is only difference

4th infusion 30 seconds
earthy, sweet, spicy, caramel

5th infusion, 40 seconds
Still strong and lovely

I have to admit to an ulterior motive here: I was hoping I might find that I actually prefer my young sheng puerhs to the ‘real deal’ of very aged sheng, since I have come to prefer them to most of the ripe shu—ripe shu designed to mimic the aged sheng. So I was hoping to find this would be a rather bland experience like eating dirt. And it wasn’t. It is lovely. It is very, very lovely.

Is it lovely enough to want to invest $$$ in drinking it regularly and in larger volume? Maybe not. I think stuff like this will remain an occasional tea, because even as it is sitting net to me in the cup, and the water has just boiled again, visions of Lao Ban Zhang loose mao cha are dancing in my head.

But do I understand why some stuff like this is praised and prized so highly? Yes. I get it now. It is subtly but dramatically different than the best of the shus I have had, because it manages a wonderful balance of the elements of spicy, sweet, earthy, fruity, more complex than I’ve had yet from a shu.

I’ll report back later when I see how many infusions I can get. Now up to 7, no surprises, still going strong.

[auhckw]

Today my burnt mouth recovered enough to try the oldest sample I got from Essence of Tea last month, the 1960s (early) Guang Yun Gong Puerh.

This is a very expensive tea, so I wanted to be well prepared. I finished lunch 30 minutes before tasting, brushed teeth without toothpaste, rinsed mouth with plain water—didn’t want anything to interfere with the taste of the tea.

1.4 grams of tea in tiny gaiwan
30mL water per infusion (used a very small measuring cup)

Water boiling or near boiling (205-212 per the thermometer when poured from the kettle)

Flash rinse

Wet leaves smell like forest floor—sweet clean compost scent

first infusion 15 seconds
earthy like the scent promised, but surprisingly strong sweet and spicy notes right up there with it

2nd infusion 20 seconds
earthy, caramel, sweet, spicy, very very very nice

3rd infusion 25 seconds
About the same as the 2nd infusion, a bit stronger is only difference

4th infusion 30 seconds
earthy, sweet, spicy, caramel

5th infusion, 40 seconds
Still strong and lovely

I have to admit to an ulterior motive here: I was hoping I might find that I actually prefer my young sheng puerhs to the ‘real deal’ of very aged sheng, since I have come to prefer them to most of the ripe shu—ripe shu designed to mimic the aged sheng. So I was hoping to find this would be a rather bland experience like eating dirt. And it wasn’t. It is lovely. It is very, very lovely.

Is it lovely enough to want to invest $$$ in drinking it regularly and in larger volume? Maybe not. I think stuff like this will remain an occasional tea, because even as it is sitting net to me in the cup, and the water has just boiled again, visions of Lao Ban Zhang loose mao cha are dancing in my head.

But do I understand why some stuff like this is praised and prized so highly? Yes. I get it now. It is subtly but dramatically different than the best of the shus I have had, because it manages a wonderful balance of the elements of spicy, sweet, earthy, fruity, more complex than I’ve had yet from a shu.

I’ll report back later when I see how many infusions I can get. Now up to 7, no surprises, still going strong.

Wow... taking it very seriously

Btw, how expensive is expensive for this aged pu

[debunix]

Btw, how expensive is expensive for this aged pu

2.3 £ per gram

[Drax]

Thanks for sharing, debunix!

Have you been able to try any mid-range aged (say, 1990s -- more around 0.8-1£ per gram?). This range appears to be my personal preference for balancing taste with cost It also doesn't hurt that a lot of vendors have decent stuff at this age.

I think I was able to try a sample of that 1960s GYG a year or so ago; I think I still have half of the sample left. Definitely seemed like a good "special occasion" tea...

[debunix]

I have a couple of samples of that age too, and tried one of them several weeks back, and wasn't terribly impressed. I thought I'd go straight for the most aged to get the maximum effect of aging first, then go back through the rest.

[debunix]

It's still pleasing at infusion #10, although the flavors are fading to mostly sweet.

[auhckw]

It's still pleasing at infusion #10, although the flavors are fading to mostly sweet.

You make me feel like hunting for such old pu...

Did u manage to take photo of the dry and wet leaves? Curious to see em.

[debunix]

No photos today. It's really a rather nondescript dark dense bit of beeng (teeny, teeny bit of beeng!), with chopped dark leaves. And it wouldn't be a fair picture, because I broke it off quite crudely and damaged a lot of leaves as I did so.

[debunix]

After trying the very aged sheng puerh from EoT the other day, today I came back to my very first purchased puerh beeng, bought before I knew the words sheng or shu, and one that I thought was ok but really not that special. Viewed through the 'lens' of this other tea, I see that while it doesn't have the intensity of flavor I'm coming to love in young shengs, it's really better than I gave it credit for in the past. It's not as spicy/fruity as the lovely EoT puerh, but quite nice.

It's the one on the left

[debunix]

Another lovely pu not drunk enough recently--2008 Yi Wu Bamboo aged sheng from Norbu. I think this young pu gives me as much or more pleasure than the very aged 60s pu did this week: sweet, with warm rich caramel undertones, just a hint of umani to give a base flavor, an earthiness with a touch of sharp or bitter herb, but not bitter, just full and nice.

[nickE]

2001 Jin Chang Hao Yiwu from EoT.

Delicious example of a middle-aged Yiwu. I'd recommend this, might write a review next time I sample it, I was a bit distracted.

[auhckw]

Late 90s Meng Hai Lang He
-Smooth and Slightly Aged taste. Nice

I did a combo with my early 90s Ripe Gong Ting and it blended so well

[bagua7]

This morning I brew some 2008 Yi Wu Mountain Bamboo Raw and I can recommend it if you like pu erh being fruity and light. Easy to drink and very enjoyable. I'll make this a regular every time I need an extra boost in my energy levels.

[nickE]

Just finished a sample of a 2003 Yiwu from TeaMasters. Surprisingly, it has a good bit of camphor for being so young. Starts off with some caramel notes, which quickly turn to mahogany. Bitterness & soil show up later, with a lovely huigan. I definitely like this tea, though it is pricey.

I now feel I've gotten a good handle on what Yiwu tastes like. Here's the stuff I've tried.

• 2001 Mingyuanhao Yiwu (HouDe)
  2001 Jinchanghao Yiwu (EoT)
  2003 Wild Yiwu (TeaMasters)
  2005 Mingyuanhao Yiwu (HouDe)
  2009 Yiwu Ma Hei (YS)
  2009 Guafengzhai (YS)
  2010 Guafengzhai (YS)

I actually liked all these teas, with the 2001 being my least favorite.

My current task is finding a good example of aged Yiwu (>10 years).

[shah82]

So...no favorites?

I *am* curious about the Guafengzhai...How do you like the 2009 and 2010 and compared to other yiwus?