How are your 2007s?

[Cwyn]

Here we are halfway through the year. My table has a huge sample dump and I'm not getting around to what I really want to do, which is get out and try some of my 2007 teas. Year 10 is not meaningful in any way except that we thought 2007 fell in the "overpicking" years and may not be a good year. So, how are yours coming along? Do you feel some are better than expected?

[jayinhk]

Here we are halfway through the year. My table has a huge sample dump and I'm not getting around to what I really want to do, which is get out and try some of my 2007 teas. Year 10 is not meaningful in any way except that we thought 2007 fell in the "overpicking" years and may not be a good year. So, how are yours coming along? Do you feel some are better than expected?

The only '07 teas I'm drinking from my own storage are a cheap sheng (that is now surprisingly good drinking, but lacks durability) and Dayi 7572 (which is also very pleasant to drink, but it's harder to gauge material quality with shu). The other '07s were bought in the last few years and were in very dry storage in Yunnan until I bought them, so the clock basically started when they landed and they are nowhere near ready to drink.

I have bought dry storage 07s from Guangdong, but I always feel Guangdong warehouse storage seems to have less depth and complexity than tea I age myself. I don't know why this is. For this reason I can't really comment on how good 07 cakes are compared to other years, but the teas are all perfectly drinkable.

[kuánglóng]

My table has a huge sample dump and I'm not getting around to what I really want to do, which is get out and try some of my 2007 teas.

Up to you, Cwyn. No need to overthink it ... give 'em a try or let them age on for another while.

Year 10 is not meaningful in any way except that we thought 2007 fell in the "overpicking" years and may not be a good year.

'Good' and 'bad' years don't mean much to me if at all. Many growing areas have been overpicked, -sprayed and -fertilized ad nauseum since the early 00s. Then there are lots of other factors like processing, factory teas with leaves from several years blended in, storage, ... you name it. At the end of the day it all boils down to individual teas and how they fit a particular situation, at least for me.

[Cwyn]

Thanks for the feedback! After getting a 3 lb box in the mail of stuff to try, I'm at the point where I realize I won't be getting around to trying 2007 this year at all unless I find some time in late autumn.