2015 Yunnan Sourcing "Zao Qiao Di Village" Wild Arbor Raw Pu-erh tea cake

Quite a unique tea. I’ve finished my sample bag a few months back, but realized I hadn’t shared my notes. The dried leaves are large, intact, and have a pleasant floral scent. After the rinse, the floral/grassy scent is stronger and accompanied by sweet hay and hint of dried tomatoes. The tea brews a very clear darker gold hue and has a clean, refreshing taste. This tea is dynamic in the mouth—flavors and tingly sensations dancing on all parts of the tongue. It’s medium bodied with a pleasurable mouthfeel and qi.

The first thing I noticed was it’s slightly mid-aged taste—more notes of sweet sandalwood, sweet hay, vine tomatoes, autumn flowers, brown sugar, and raw honey. I am not experienced enough to tell whether this more aged taste resulted from processing or terrior, but it does have a very interesting flavor profile I have yet to come across. I’ve let this tea sit for months after the first and second sessions. It’s much improved since then, which makes me wonder how it would taste at this juncture.

Dry – Dried fruits, stone fruits, floral, apricots, sweet veggies, some bittersweet notes (tomato vines?) and possibly a hint of maple.
Wet – dried red and dark fruits, thick/creamy, stone fruits, floral bitterness, nutty, corn, maple?/candied fruit >> and later pungent and very pleasant musky fruit and a maple note.
Liquor – deep golden

1st 4secs – Good mellow and almost ‘umami’ front that develops a savory olive oil note and body. As it goes down it has more fruity notes but seem almost savory as well. Thick and numbing (love this).

2nd 4secs – Very nutty, bitter and bittersweet floral and tobacco notes and a slightly savory note that transition to sweeter nutty and refreshing sensation and there a pleasant bitterness that remind me of tomato vines (I usually get this note from purple varietal, but this is more gentle).

3rd 6secs – Nutty, strong tobacco-like bitterness that transition to savory middle and thick body with some fruity and floral notes that have a nice lasting thickness (oily sensation). I keep getting that maple? note that I like followed by that ‘tomato vine’ note that lingers.

4th 8secs – very nutty and tobacco-y notes together with thick body and minor astringency. There are notes of olive oil and tomato vine before becoming sweeter and fruity/floral, but keeps that tomato note that lingers.

5th 10secs – Very nutty and tobacco-y that is both thick and slightly astringent, the olive oil note is still there with the tomato vine but it isn’t as noticeable or as savory, the fruity remind me of dried persimmons and at this point I also noticed a slightly more refreshing sensation during the huigan.

6th 14secs – Nutty with strong bitter and bittersweet tobacco notes that develop thick body and astringency. Huigan has a fruity and floral profile with rich notes that still reminds me of maple.

7th 20 secs – Bitter and bittersweet, tobacco, nutty, some vegetal notes, that still remind me of tomato vine, floral. As it goes down it has a more nutty and fruity profile with a refreshing sensation.

Final Notes
I easily made it to 12th steep and I stopped taking notes to enjoy even more and chill while I did it. I’d recommend trying this one at least once if you get the chance. :)

I am finally getting to pull this one out after getting a few weeks ago.
I got 10 grams out and rinsed in the gaiwan to start with. The brew is a light gold and the aromatics of this is really nice. It seems to have a lot of aroma to it.
It has a semi thick viscosity to it that hits the front and middle of the tongue with hints of bitter that drifts into sweet at the back of the tongue. I can totally get the green tomato in this as others have noted. This is a big tossup of activity when you drink it. The brew seems to give some of the mouth tingle in there as well.
Another small village that we are lucky to drink from their productions.

I liked this one:
began mild, bitter, straw tasting. Touch of sour… a bit of tomato in the sour?
Hints of sweetness came early. By 5-6, sour was gone, started to feel nice and stoned.
7-9 earthy straw honey

Well this is what I like about YS… Site posts tea from a village I’d never heard of for a completely reasonable price, I sample it, it’s actually quite unique and a pleasure to drink. Incredibly pungent, it smells of sweet musk and fruit. Once it gets going its pretty thick and dark, and feels oily in the mouth. There are sudden notes of sweet mint and honey, but the base is much earthier- barn-straw dark green moss. Certainly an enjoyable experience.