Labelled: Anhua Hei Cha 2009 Aged Black. From Dexter. Thank you!
I have no idea what this is. So of course I decided to try it! It’s pressed like a cake, and although I left the largest pieces in the sample baggie for later, what ended up in my travel gaiwan are still decent sized pieces.
Rinse, sniff. Whoa. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. It’s soooo plummy. Sweet. A little smoky.
Steep 1: 5-ish seconds. This is really light. I smell a bit of fermentation/aging smell, but it’s mostly smoke and plums. The tea is less plummy than the leaves. Oh, that’s tasty. Plums and forest loam? Yeah, pretty much. A little sweet-ish as well.
Steep 2: 5-ish seconds. You know, I’m not sure I like this. There’s something other than plums and forest loam that is not super great. Cedar or something. After the sip. The part that lingers. The actual taste while it’s in my mouth is good, but…
Steep 3: 10-ish seconds. Forest loam and some sort of wood. And varnish. Actually, yeah. It’s kind of like linseed oil. The kind you use to finish wood, not the kind you put on your salad. That’s the part that lingers.
Dexter, what do you think of this tea? I can’t actually drink any more, it tastes like I’m in my dad’s workshop.
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That’s what it is….
Ummm not varnish – I’ve drank this three times – twice with my tea guy – he swore cherry (you are saying plum) – I didn’t think it was fruity at all. I thought it was more oolong than black. Milder than a black, a little woody and a touch of the mineral that can be in some oolongs. It’s an aged black.
I have two versions of it. I only sent you one because I wasn’t sure if you would like it or not. I normally drink it more Western. 2g (ish) chunk 95C water – rinse then first steep 45sec- 1 min.
If you don’t like it don’t drink it, but wow linseed oil – interesting…
Haha. I’ll have to try it Western. Yeah, it was like wood and linseed oil, in my dad’s workshop. Maybe not varnish, but like finishing wood the old school way. IDK. Maybe my taste buds are broken? :D That might be the mineral, though. The taste itself is like plums and a bit woody, but then the lingering whatever. SO WEIRD. I’d agree it’s more like an oolong.
I had other plans tonight but I’m going to break a chunk off and steep it really short like you did and see if it’s like that for me…. (I thought I sent you about 9-10g of it – so for traditional gongfu you should (bad word – Dex don’t tell people how to drink tea) have used about half of what I sent you – I’m wondering if not enough leaf?
When he does this he does this he does 1g/50ml of water – then steeps first steep 30sec-1min depending on the tea…. if you are going to go really short more leaf would normally be used…
I’m not an expert – I’m just spewing what people are telling me…
Yeah, I used about half. :) I’ll try it your way for sure. Just maybe not tonight! Part of the “problem” might be that I don’t really like the toasty/aged/dark/whatever they are oolongs. I think I have 2, and they’re both sip-downable because I’ve given a lot of them away.
Ahhhhhh sorry when you said you left the big chunks it just sounded like you only used a small bit of it.
I knew dark oolongs weren’t your fav – but I though this was different enough that it was worth a shot. Oh well – you don’t have to drink it. Toss it or pass it…
But I’m CURIOUS. :)
Explore, Explore….
poke me tomorrow and get me to try it…or uh maybe friday.
I think I OD’d on black at work today – I didn’t get to this tonight, needed something lighter. Will try it soon though in really short steeps….
I might revisit this one tonight as well. Depends on how I’m feeling, though. Might end up going with a shou.
http://instagram.com/p/wU-g-2uE33/?modal=true
That’s what it is….
Ummm not varnish – I’ve drank this three times – twice with my tea guy – he swore cherry (you are saying plum) – I didn’t think it was fruity at all. I thought it was more oolong than black. Milder than a black, a little woody and a touch of the mineral that can be in some oolongs. It’s an aged black.
I have two versions of it. I only sent you one because I wasn’t sure if you would like it or not. I normally drink it more Western. 2g (ish) chunk 95C water – rinse then first steep 45sec- 1 min.
If you don’t like it don’t drink it, but wow linseed oil – interesting…
Haha. I’ll have to try it Western. Yeah, it was like wood and linseed oil, in my dad’s workshop. Maybe not varnish, but like finishing wood the old school way. IDK. Maybe my taste buds are broken? :D That might be the mineral, though. The taste itself is like plums and a bit woody, but then the lingering whatever. SO WEIRD. I’d agree it’s more like an oolong.
I had other plans tonight but I’m going to break a chunk off and steep it really short like you did and see if it’s like that for me…. (I thought I sent you about 9-10g of it – so for traditional gongfu you should (bad word – Dex don’t tell people how to drink tea) have used about half of what I sent you – I’m wondering if not enough leaf?
When he does this he does this he does 1g/50ml of water – then steeps first steep 30sec-1min depending on the tea…. if you are going to go really short more leaf would normally be used…
I’m not an expert – I’m just spewing what people are telling me…
Yeah, I used about half. :) I’ll try it your way for sure. Just maybe not tonight! Part of the “problem” might be that I don’t really like the toasty/aged/dark/whatever they are oolongs. I think I have 2, and they’re both sip-downable because I’ve given a lot of them away.
Ahhhhhh sorry when you said you left the big chunks it just sounded like you only used a small bit of it.
I knew dark oolongs weren’t your fav – but I though this was different enough that it was worth a shot. Oh well – you don’t have to drink it. Toss it or pass it…
But I’m CURIOUS. :)
Explore, Explore….
poke me tomorrow and get me to try it…or uh maybe friday.
I think I OD’d on black at work today – I didn’t get to this tonight, needed something lighter. Will try it soon though in really short steeps….
I might revisit this one tonight as well. Depends on how I’m feeling, though. Might end up going with a shou.