BaDa 2013

Strong, bitter and adstringent with a fruity note resembling Bitter Lemon.
Images and more at https://puerh.blog/teanotes/2013-bada-prsk

I don’t see much fresh BaDa, so I was excited to try this one out. The leaf is quite compressed and gives off a heavy bitter scent with some thick floral background. The hefty chunk is stone fruity and bright. I warmed up my gaiwan and placed a chunk inside. The tea is oddly fragrant, haha. The leaf opens up some and gives potent scents of peach and apricot alike gummy candy. The fruit aroma grows fat after washing and continues to explore the tea room while brewing. The taste begins bitey and fresh with lemon grass notes. A slight peppercorn taste peeks through the bright sunshineyness. The huigan builds hard and thick in the back of the throat with a sweet tang. The energy is very good and percolates my vessels. However, the tea is quite basic. The tones continue to be soft and slowly moving, but I sensed no extreme bitter, sweet, or unique tastes. The sheng is nice and grassy and becomes dry over time. This raw stuff is quite basic, but the qi is something nice. A nice bright summer energy. I enjoyed the tea, but I don’t think i’ll get a cake.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIAseP2gx0h/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

From PTTB-4

This is a nice father’s day treat. More elegant than powerful, but a very complex flavor, with perfect balance between the nose, taste, and finish.

The first cup presented a spicy aroma (clove and black pepper ?). These flavors continued into the taste, which was mostly wood and straw. Second steep was more of the same, but with a bit of apricot replacing some of the spice, which reappeared more strongly in the finish. By the end of the second cup (3+2 oz) I was really feeling the cha qi as a whole-body effect. Very pleasant. 3rd steep turns slightly bitter, hiding much of the fruit and spice, which reappears as the tea cools. VERY strong qi. I shortened the 4th steep a bit and was rewarded with a smooth, fruity cup. I’ll post this now but expect to keep drinking this through the day; it shows no signs of quitting.

Puerh Tea TTB. This is a nice tea with little bitterness and a nice sweet note. I think there were even some notes of apricots in there. It was good. Made this when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep. I guess I gave up on getting back to sleep.

I steeped this eight times in a 120 ml gaiwan with 8g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, and 30 sec.

I’m having a tough time getting a handle on this tea. I’ve had it three times but it’s proving a bit mercurial.

It has a rye bread smell in the dry leaves, which are fairly small and olive green when infused. The first couple of steeps have hints of corn and almonds and caused my mouth to pleasantly pucker. It’s not a thick tea but it creates a kind of swelling in the tongue along with significant salivation.

Steep three witnessed the emergence of a sweeter, stone fruit profile, but also hints of gasoline and substantial bitterness, especially if you push the steep times. And while I wouldn’t characterize the qi as ass-kicking, it’s definitely noticeable—and long-lasting. It’s a good tea to drink at work because it focuses and animates rather than intoxicates.

A hard nut to crack, this one.

Very good tea from pu-erh.sk. A nice golden amber colored broth, citrusy and bold. A good bitterness. Clean tasting and bright, moderate qi. A durable fine tasting find!

Brewed in gaiwan (approx 100ml, 10g leaf), boiling water, gonfu style, you know the drill.

First few infusions (1-4) come off as rather weak and a little uninteresting. However, the tea quickly improves, and remains energetic with good mouth feel throughout subsequent steepings. Had to stop after about 10 infusions, but I’m sure this could have survived at least another five (and perhaps more).