5 Tasting Notes
Loosely pressed cake from YS composed of mostly smaller leaves (looks to be mostly grades 2-3). Brewed gongfu style in a clay gaiwan. First rinse produced light red liquor. First proper steeping (~10s) produced deep red / browniss liquor which persisted throughout the session. Started ti wash out around the 6th infusion.
Liquor is not particularly aromatic— slight mineral notes on the nose once brewed. Liquor has a balanced mouthfeel (erring on the lighter side) with a distinct maltiness and a subtle sweetness. Subsquent steepings open the tea up, revealing hints of barley and cornflower. Finishes quickly and does not linger on the palette for long.
Overall a tasty ripe pu erh from YS, although not overly complex. Planning to age the remainder of this cake to see if anything changes in the coming years.
Flavors: Corn Husk, Hot Hay, Malt, Roasted Barley
Preparation
For the price, this cannot be beat. This is a daily drinker for me, almost exclusively grandpa style. This is quite approachable and, while not having a lot of complexity, brews up richly and smoothly.
Flavors: Chocolate, Compost, Creamy, Dirt, Smoked, Sweet
Preparation
Hardy little Gyokuro that brews up rather consistently. Quite grassy with a nice backbone of green melons in the aftertaste. Slightly sweet, but not as perceptible. Little to no astringency detected.
Flavors: Grass, Grass Seed, Green Melons, Sweet, Warm Grass
