Official Pu of the day

[Salsero]

5 gr, 120 ml, 15 s, 20 s, 1 m, 2 m, 1 m, 1 m

Wow, 1m on the 3rd infusion already? Does this tea just require a little more time, or do you usually brew like that?

I don't normally go that long that early, but the first couple infusions were light and I wanted more insight, so I pushed it. The 3rd and 4th infusions actually weren't bad at all, but I did back off afterward and enjoyed the later infusions more. I won't brew it the same way next time, though I might try more leaf to start. Here is the whole final sequence.

15 s, 20 s, 1 m, 2 m, 1 m, 1 m, 90 s, 2 m, 4 m, 6 m

If it hadn't been so late at night, I might have tried another one or two rounds.

[Dizzwave]

5 gr, 120 ml, 15 s, 20 s, 1 m, 2 m, 1 m, 1 m

Wow, 1m on the 3rd infusion already? Does this tea just require a little more time, or do you usually brew like that?

[shogun89]

First of all, Thank you very much for the review Sal, it is much appreciated, I will probably hold of on that one.

for pu of the day,
'05 Ming Yuan Hao Yiwu Old Tree.

The leaves on this one are huge, They averaged about 2-3 inches when dried and I had to steam them to get them in my yixing without breaking. The brew smells of tobacco, some smoke, woody with some fruit. The color is a nice amber. So far a great tea. Now for the taste. This tea has a fair amount of astringency to it. Some smoke but a very pleasing amount. No dryness detected. It has a sweet woody tobacco flavor to it much like the aroma. This tea swallows easily, flows down the throat smoothly while making it warm and comfortable. The hui gan is medium and is quite nice. Overall this is, I hate to say it but, bang'in tea. I am enjoying this one quite a bit. It was a sample from the box pass so I thank the person who included this wonderful tea.

9-9.5/10!!!!!

I believe this is the cake, for $30 I think it is pretty darn nice, A little pricy for me but for those of you with money, I highly recommend it. I think this cake will be amazing with another 10 years on it.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

As soon as I saw your question, I had my staff locate the neglected cake and I brewed up a pot...

Sal... do you have little Pu gnomes keeping your cave organized your not telling us about?

[Salsero]

http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=414
I noticed that you got this cake a little while back, but couldn't find reviews of it (sorry if there are), any way I was wondering what you thought of it as it is on my list of things to get.

As soon as I saw your question, I had my staff locate the neglected cake and I brewed up a pot, 5 gr, 120 ml, 15 s, 20 s, 1 m, 2 m, 1 m, 1 m and that's where I am now.

The exterior leaves are dark and look quite nice, rather large and unbroken. The interior leaves also look pretty good, but I did find a layer of tea dust, but not much and I have had excellent tea with the dusty, dirt-looking stuff. In sniffing the first infusion, I sense a slight aroma of rubber or something similar that carries over into the extremely light initial taste, that transforms into a light tobacco taste, white fruits, very slight sweetness and smoke. 4th infusion spicy and still some smoke and tobacco. 5th and 6th infusions were still showing some rather odd tastes, like fishy, alternating with some very pleasant sensations, like leather. Strange Brew, as the sixties rock group Cream put it.

It's not bad and some of its less pleasant characteristics might be just what will make it age well, ... or not. It is an interesting tea, very individual. As personal preference, I was more excited by the 2007 Bulang Spring Buds (not the tips) and the 2007 Jingmai Mountain Spring at about the same price

[shogun89]

Salsero,

http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=414

I noticed that you got this cake a little while back, but couldent find reviews of it (sorry if there are), any way I was wondering what you thought of it as it is on my list of things to get.

Thanks

[shogun89]

Why do you always get the yummy teas Poly. . . .. Looks great!

[puerhking]

I have that one too......so I will be interested in what Scott says. Mine seemed quite astringent and had a slight smell of rubber. I have only tried it once so I will have to try it again.

Yea I did get the rubber type of aroma but only for a moment. I would love to hear what you think after trying it a couple more times.

Ill try it again tomorrow.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

I have that one too......so I will be interested in what Scott says. Mine seemed quite astringent and had a slight smell of rubber. I have only tried it once so I will have to try it again.

Yea I did get the rubber type of aroma but only for a moment. I would love to hear what you think after trying it a couple more times.

[puerhking]

I purchased this cake with the other yuan nian cakes I got from the guy from ebay. Just started drinking it last night. I love the compression on this cake, its quite loosely compressed and made it very easy to get apart, though it was a well formed beeng in that there wasn't a lot of loose stuff when I opened it up. The first picture is from the the website of Yuan Nian while the second one is my attempt of a decent picture, with my sheng pot.

Anyway, to the tea...

All I really know about it is that its a 2008 yuan nian cake which was sold to me as a "vista" beeng. I emailed scott about this one since he has been getting in other yuan nian items and said he could get this one. I'm awaiting a price as I am very interested in getting more.

Astringency- a little bit, an enjoyable amount
Smoke- none that I noticed
Dryness- not so much a dryness but a slight tingle, perhaps even a little numb feeling
Mouthfeel- light to medium
Hui gan- a long honey aftertaste
Flavor- a very "drinkable" tea
Overall value- Still awaiting a price but based on the price of the other yuan nian cakes I'd say its a steal.
Purchase again- Will, and am

I have that one too......so I will be interested in what Scott says. Mine seemed quite astringent and had a slight smell of rubber. I have only tried it once so I will have to try it again.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

I purchased this cake with the other yuan nian cakes I got from the guy from ebay. Just started drinking it last night. I love the compression on this cake, its quite loosely compressed and made it very easy to get apart, though it was a well formed beeng in that there wasn't a lot of loose stuff when I opened it up. The first picture is from the the website of Yuan Nian while the second one is my attempt of a decent picture, with my sheng pot.

Anyway, to the tea...

All I really know about it is that its a 2008 yuan nian cake which was sold to me as a "vista" beeng. I emailed scott about this one since he has been getting in other yuan nian items and said he could get this one. I'm awaiting a price as I am very interested in getting more.

Astringency- a little bit, an enjoyable amount
Smoke- none that I noticed
Dryness- not so much a dryness but a slight tingle, perhaps even a little numb feeling
Mouthfeel- light to medium
Hui gan- a long honey aftertaste
Flavor- a very "drinkable" tea
Overall value- Still awaiting a price but based on the price of the other yuan nian cakes I'd say its a steal.
Purchase again- Will, and am

[Goose]

2002 Bulang Mountain, from Steve's sampler on B&B - very interesting tea. I like it. I have a lot going on around here today so, no photos

[tony shlongini]

'07 Xiaguan gold ribbon tuo, in a broken yixing (yeah, I'm a tough guy)

This is a nice enough sheng, but I don't see how anyone awarded it a gold ribbon. Nonsense. It sports the typical XG neutron star compression and is alive with flavor, but has a slightly disconcerting sour component. It's not nearly in the league of the FT branded tuos. I'd stick with those.

[thanks]

1990 CNNP Da Ye Menghai Fang Cha Zhuan

Delicious. Detailed notes found on my blog.

[Goose]

From a group buy on B&B- pretty nice on first impressions.

Looks pretty yummy, good color, slightly cloudy though. . . .

Yes... that was the first infusion.The next two are much darker and clearer.