I admit I have very limited experience with raw puerh, but to me it was easy to tell this is the most aged one I’ve had yet. The color of the liquor was much darker than younger raws I’ve tried, and the aroma off the wet leaves reminded me more of ripe puerhs I’ve had than of other raw ones. The taste was mostly leather and wood, with some bitter notes up front. Most infusions were sweet, though it was almost exclusively on the back end of a sip, like in the back of the mouth and the aftertaste. Very smooth throughout. The woody flavor I tasted in most of these steeps was not the moist, forest-floor flavor of shou puerh, but a more aromatic and dry wood flavor. The tea became more drying as the session went on as well. An interesting tea, tastes much older than the date it was pressed.
Flavors: Cedar, Drying, Leather, Smooth, Sweet, Tobacco, Wood
Preparation
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The maocha had some age on it when it was pressed.
Yea I read that in Yunnan Sourcing’s description :) How common is it to press cakes with pre-aged maocha?
There are a few out there. I know Dayi and XiaGuan do it. Yunnan Sourcing has a couple as well as the Tea Urchin. I don’t know if it is caused by a bunch of Maocha left over or by choice. Sometimes the sellers don’t sell it all and have leftovers they sell the next year. With the bigger factories it is more than likely an intentional thing. I think Dayi does it with all the “Spring Of Menghai” cakes. Sometimes having 3 years of tea blended in.
Huh, neat. Does maocha age faster than pressed cakes? It seems like it would, but then why age most teas as cakes instead of loose?
It does age quicker. The actual process of pressing was for transport. I guess the pressing tradition has carried on from the past. If you have ever looked at 100 grams of loose maocha vs compressed there is a big difference in the space it occupies.
Yunnan sourcing has a bang up Hai Lang Hao cake with some older stuff in it as well. They also have a Chen Yun Yuan Cha with age maocha as well.
Links
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/2015/3601-2015-hai-lang-hao-gao-shan-chen-yun-yi-wu-mountain-raw-pu-erh-tea.html
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/2011/1746-2011-yunnan-sourcing-chen-yun-yuan-cha-wild-arbor-raw-pu-erh-tea-cake.html
One for $25.00 and the second for $35.00. Good value on both in my opinion.
Oh, thanks for those links! I’ll give those cakes a try next time I make a YS order.
ive had a couple of HLH teas now, and they all have been very good, in my humble opinion :)
That one listed is really worth the $25.00 price.
The maocha had some age on it when it was pressed.
Yea I read that in Yunnan Sourcing’s description :) How common is it to press cakes with pre-aged maocha?
There are a few out there. I know Dayi and XiaGuan do it. Yunnan Sourcing has a couple as well as the Tea Urchin. I don’t know if it is caused by a bunch of Maocha left over or by choice. Sometimes the sellers don’t sell it all and have leftovers they sell the next year. With the bigger factories it is more than likely an intentional thing. I think Dayi does it with all the “Spring Of Menghai” cakes. Sometimes having 3 years of tea blended in.
Huh, neat. Does maocha age faster than pressed cakes? It seems like it would, but then why age most teas as cakes instead of loose?
It does age quicker. The actual process of pressing was for transport. I guess the pressing tradition has carried on from the past. If you have ever looked at 100 grams of loose maocha vs compressed there is a big difference in the space it occupies.
Yunnan sourcing has a bang up Hai Lang Hao cake with some older stuff in it as well. They also have a Chen Yun Yuan Cha with age maocha as well.
Links
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/2015/3601-2015-hai-lang-hao-gao-shan-chen-yun-yi-wu-mountain-raw-pu-erh-tea.html
http://yunnansourcing.com/en/2011/1746-2011-yunnan-sourcing-chen-yun-yuan-cha-wild-arbor-raw-pu-erh-tea-cake.html
One for $25.00 and the second for $35.00. Good value on both in my opinion.
Oh, thanks for those links! I’ll give those cakes a try next time I make a YS order.
ive had a couple of HLH teas now, and they all have been very good, in my humble opinion :)
That one listed is really worth the $25.00 price.