Finally opened this cake after purchasing in late 2020. Unfortunately as a newbie to pu-er storage I may have ruined this cake by prying it apart into two disc + doughnut halves to try an A/B experiment… I’ve since scrapped the idea and put the halves back together to go back into the ziplock but placed the central loose leaf that fell out into a brown paper bag in unsealed plastic bag to “age”. This is going to be a trial run, then…
5g in 100ml porcelain gaiwan.
Wet leaf aroma: Intensely floral, the notes say orchid aroma and I can really feel that. (Orchid are my favourite flower, that’s what drove me to buy this in the first place). A lot of sweetness, a juicy note I can’t describe like it makes me imagine a fat aloe vera or fleshy jungle plant. Very pleasant. One of my favourite leaf aromas.
- 10 sec Rinse was already pretty deep-coloured and flavourful but had a bit of taste of grit so I ended up throwing it out after two sips.
1st infusion:
- Full-bodied, a bit vegetal/grassy, marine brine, very slight and pleasant dryness in the mouth. Sweetness is barely detectable but it’s not flavourless nor bitter. Smells a bit salty / umami like the sea (but doesn’t taste salty), and a hint of minerality. A very light and subtle infusion, not as flavourful as a fresh green tea, but like a (non-astringent) later shadow of one.
2nd infusion: Had to leave the house so the leaves sat there for about three hours before I could come back to them.
- Liquor now gives me a tingly cooling sensation in the mouth. Flavour is spicy (chili, black pepper), slightly bitter, mineral-rocky, and nutty (almonds or peanuts). No sweetness or fruitiness.
Verdict: It’s not my favourite right now, but I am excited to see how this will taste in 2026*!
*Unfortunately it won’t age as nicely as if I had left the entire cake intact, according to Mei Leaf’s videos about ageing raw pu-er cakes.
Flavors: Almond, Black Pepper, Chili, Marine, Mineral, Orchids, Peanut, Spicy
