We don't know when or if this item will be available.
“This is the third maocha I’ve tried from Norbu. I really liked one, found the other fair-go-good, and now it was on to an older one. Philosophically, I found it puzzling that they aged an...” Read full tasting note
“This is a lovely anise-sweet young sheng that I got as a free sample with a recent order. I did a parallel tasting with another very nice young sheng, and the link below is to a version of this...” Read full tasting note
“I first has this tea from Silk Road Teas. The Norbu version is virtually identical. I love this tea. It took me about two years of drinking black pu-erh to come to appreciate green pu-erh, but...” Read full tasting note
-Harvest: Spring, 2007
-Growing Region: Yong De County, Lincang Prefecture, Yunnan
In Kunming this spring I had the pleasure of trying this tea, and for some reason it really stuck in my mind as exceptional. I inquired about it a few weeks after returning home to the States, and found out that some of it remained unsold. I jumped at the opportunity to get some loose, and here it is.
This mao cha is from the spring harvest of 2007 and was picked from wild growing trees in Yong De county of Lincang prefecture, where a lot of my personal favorite teas seem to be coming from these days. Just over three years of aging in Yong De county’s mountainous but warm & damp climate has aged it quicker than if it had been stored in a less humid environment.
Because of the aging in Yong De, the infused tea liquor is a beautiful amber color with spectacular clarity. The flavor is quite mellow, especially in light of the fact that it is only three years old. At the time of writing, the flavor, although tough to describe, really reminds me of the way the fall season smells in a forest after the leaves have fallen. The aftertaste is pleasant and clean tasting with elements of that “foresty” aroma. It is my opinion, besides being a very good value, that this is an excellent semi-aged mao cha that if left un-compressed should be consumed in the next 18 months or so. It really is showing it’s potential as a loose tea right now with its balance between its young, raw flavor and more mellow, aged-type aspects. I really hope people enjoy this tea as much as I have been.
Company description not available.
Yong De Lao Cha Tou Ripe Pu-Erh Tea Nuggets
Yunnan SourcingYong De Mao Cha
Silk Road Teas2007 Yong Zhen "Green Cake" Raw Pu-erh tea of Yong De 357 grams
Yunnan Sourcing2010 Spring Nan Nuo - Shi Tou Xin Zhai Mao Cha - Loose Pu-Erh Tea
Norbu Tea2010 Spring - Lao Ban Pen Mao Cha - Loose Pu-Erh Tea
Norbu TeaSpring "Yong De Sun-Dried Silver Buds" Raw White Pu-erh tea
Yunnan SourcingThis is the third maocha I’ve tried from Norbu. I really liked one, found the other fair-go-good, and now it was on to an older one. Philosophically, I found it puzzling that they aged an unfinished pu-erh. Wouldn’t it make more sense just to turn it into a pu-erh and age it then? Eh, I’m nitpicking. The dry scent was off-putting, but the finished brew-up (Western-style but in a gaiwan) turned up an earthy, faintly fruity, and smoky cup. Like an oolong that’d been blended with a sheng. I still prefer younger maochas – like the Nan Nuo I had – but this was still a pleasure to sip.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/19/review-norbu-tea-2007-spring-yong-de-mao-cha/
This is a lovely anise-sweet young sheng that I got as a free sample with a recent order. I did a parallel tasting with another very nice young sheng, and the link below is to a version of this with photos on my tea page.
Long twisted intact-appearing leaves and a fair bit of stem. The dry leaves smell sweet and earthy.
I put 2 grams of my tiniest gaiwan, with 1.5 ounces near boiling water. After a flash rinse, they smell even stronger and more delicious.
First infusion, 205°F/96°C, 10": sweet anise
Second infusion, 205°F/96°C, 15": sweet anise, woody/earthy starting up
Third infusion, 205°F/96°C, 20": sweet anise, woody/earthy
Fourth infusion, 205°F/96°C, 20": sweet anise, woody/earthy, still the anise is very strong, bit of bitter aftertaste
Fifth infusion, 205°F/96°C, 35": sweet anise, earthy has retreated now, bitter/sweet aftertaste
Sixth infusion, 205°F/96°C, 60" (stopped to take a picture of the leaves): sweet anise and earthy, rich and strong
Seventh infusion, 205°F/96°C, 1’: a little dilute, should have let it go longer, more sweet water with hints of anise
Eighth infusion, 205°F/96°C, 3’: oh, this is much better, my earthy flavors are back. Still delicious, yum. Young sheng star.
Losing count—10? 11? still wonderful, both of them. Troubling fact: I want to shoot the spent leaves, lay them out to show the size and pluck, but they’re just not quitting, now 15, 16 infusions in. It will be a long night.
1.5 liter later (the kettle was filled completely when I started), they’re not as rich, but still, a little better than just sweet water.
Wet leaves are are mix of light brown and green, large leaves with some more than two inches long, mostly intact.
Full review with photos:
http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/LaoBanPen&YongDe11.10.html
I first has this tea from Silk Road Teas. The Norbu version is virtually identical. I love this tea. It took me about two years of drinking black pu-erh to come to appreciate green pu-erh, but now I love it. This Mao Cha has a quality of intense, delicate, pleasurable bitterness unlike any other tea I’ve tasted. The word that comes to mind is “bracing”. There is something about its lovely, pure bitterness that cuts through you like a painless knife: sort of what I imagine what it would be like to undergo “psychic surgergy”. Anyway, it has become one of my staples. And it holds up well to multiple steepings and can be drunk in large quantities.
