1999 Aged Bamboo Bark Wrapped Ripe Pu-erh Tea Brick 250g

A sample of this was sent to me and I was curious about it… wasn’t sure if it was a raw or ripe from the package or the smell of the dry leaf. When I brewed it up it let me know it was a ripe though.

From the first steep I knew this was old tea; thankfully I have had multiple experiences with shou that’s 10-15, 15-20, and 20+ years old. This falls in that range of being in the early 2000s, but if it was wrapped in bamboo than it would probably have a more dry’ish aspect to it. It has a dry wood taste to it with a very surprising kick of fermentation. I haven’t come across an older ripe with this kick in the mouth so that surprises me. The undertones and high notes of bark(old sun beat layer) let me know that it’s older… but I think for most people this isn’t something they want because it was 100% dry stored and by that I mean 30% humidity or something like that.

This is something I may consider buying, breaking up, and storing in a crock for later. The complex taste that comes through the viscosity with sticky stem mixed in with old bark makes this unique while not being too harsh or too weak. With some humidity and bringing to life this could be a gem. Dead serious

I normally steer clear of shou, but I have become curious to find clean and tasty options for a change of pace. I grabbed up this (free) sample from my stash hoping it would fit the bill on a cold and icy morning. So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The broken/separated dry leaf smelled sweet with a touch of earth and none of that nasty fishy/fermented stink. After a single hot rinse the earth was dominant in the pot, but not unpleasant . The first steep was immediately thick, dark and coated my mouth with soft cereal and earthy sweetness. I’ve steeped this sample 6-7 times so far and haven’t noticed much change except for a slight increase in sweetness over earth. If I had to say, this one might actually be a little too soft and uncomplicated even when given extended (2-3 mins) brew time. The strength of flavor doesn’t quite match up to the color, aroma, and mouth feel. Still, this leaf was enjoyable to my tastes and that is an achievement. I’m now hopeful there is a shou out there for me.

I really wish I had a palate that would allow me to truly describe this tea, but I do not. Yes I know this pu’er is “composed of low grade tea leaves and stems”, but still, this tea is everything I love about pu’er. It is extremely bold and the taste is so amazing that, again, I really wish I could describe it. All I can really say is the taste is more leafy then it is earthy. This will sound weird, but the best way I can describe it is this: every time I sip this tea I imagine how a forest floor would taste in late fall after all the trees have shed their leaves. Goofy, but that is how I can best describe it! I really love this tea!!!