So the one I ordered at the end of last year was a 1973 Wenshan Baozhong and that is what’s written on the tea I received. However, since it’s no longer on the site and I can’t verify one way or the other I will leave my review here.
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Dry leaves smell of petrichor, clay, old leaves and a hit of coffee.
Wet leaves smell of old wet winter leaves, clay, with a note of prunes.
This is the darkest rinse I’ve ever seen!
Steep/Time: Notes
1/5s: Very, very smooth. Sweet with old leaves and clay. Reminiscent of shou puer, but very, very clean.
2/5s: Sweet, smooth, tastes of wet winter leaves. (Think of the smell of a pile of leaves you find buried under snow). No bitterness or astringency to speak of.
3/10s: Sames previous. Picking up a bit more of that petrichor/mineral note. Not at all overwhelming. Perhaps the tiniest bit of astringency in the finish.
4/12s: I’m actually enjoying this petrichor/mineral note. It’s that smell of newly fallen rain on hot stone, with wet leaves. It’s sweet and smooth. Wasn’t sure in the previous steep, but this tea does indeed have a bit of gentle cha qi.
5/18s: Speeding up time between steeps definitely kicks up the qi. Sweet, smooth.
6/25s: Same
7/30s: The sweetness is blossoming more. Not as much wet old leaf taste in this steep. Just sweet smoothness and petrichor.
8-14/?s: These I just let sit and pour and sip and sip and sip. Same taste profile as steep 7 for the most part.
I just moved the leaves to my larger oolong pot (250mL) it just struck me that the smell I’m describing as petrichor is the aroma of a genuine yixing teapot after its seasoning boil. The smell of wet stone earth. :) I’ll drink to that!
15/???s: I let this steep through my meeting and man is this good! Tastes like a really clean shou puer with that oddly pleasant petrichor/mineral note a bit more subdued.
16/???s: This has to be what the original creators of shou puer were hoping to create. Really, really good!
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Clay, Sweet, Wet Rocks
