66 Tasting Notes
A really lovely ripe pu-erh. Nothing is out of place, the flavors are deep and clean, and the impression for me is of a cake that was well made from good materials. Very pleasant tea.
Flavors: Chocolate, Earth
Preparation
For the last three days I have been having the Crimson Lotus tea’s 2007 Qiao Jun “Huang Zhi” shou pu-erh. The website states: “This puerh brews very light even with longer steepings. This will brew very smooth with a pronounced mellow sweetness. It’s moist in the throat with a pleasant aftertaste.” I completely agree with this note. The tea is simply pleasant, has a certain lightness to it, and has a hint of chocolate in its finish during early steepings. I found it grew on me over the three days it took to go through 10 steepings. Seems like a pretty good bargain for a pleasant everyday drinker at $22 for a 250 ml brick (also available in 25 gram sample size). More info available at http://crimsonlotustea.com/products/2007-qiao-jun-huang-zhi-250g-shou-ripe-puerh-brick. My tea was from a sample purchased last month.
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Flavors: Chocolate, Earth, Wood
Preparation
This cake is progressing nicely. Color is now mid orange, the intense alfalfa like grassiness is faded a bit and replaced with a camphor like and lighter grass flavor with hints of olive, a still slightly astringent mouthfeel, and a pronounced salivary effect. Quite a nice experience overall.
Flavors: Camphor, Grass, Olive Oil
Preparation
This is an interesting tea of depth and complexity with bright, well balanced flavors and a deep sweetness. Good earthy flavor, hints of tobacco, and perhaps even a whisper of cherry and forest in the flavors, this is quite a good tasting tea. Just a hint of astringency in the long lasting flavors. Quite enjoyable (from a sample).
Flavors: Cherry, Earth, Sweet, Tobacco, Wood
Preparation
This is truly a wild purple pu-erh. It was hard for me to evaluate because it is so young and strong at this juncture. It is strong, smoky, untamed. It will integrate over time I believe (the 2012 version tasted side by side) while still a bit wild is much more integrated. Be prepared for a wild ride.
Preparation
Preparation
Today this tea brewed a clear coppery color with a shy aroma but a complex flavor of citrus, sweetness, metal, and alfalfa. Not a powerhouse tea, but one of subtlety and depth.
Flavors: Citrus, Straw, Sweet
Preparation
I have been drinking the 2005 Six Famous Tea Mountain Jia Ji Raw Pu-erh Tuocha from Mengla in Xishuangbanna for the last three days. (Purchased here: http://www.tuochatea.com/6ftm-jia-ji-pu-erh-tuocha-p2/). It is quite interesting as it has changed each time I’ve tried it over several days. I brews to a light orange color, and at first was rich, mouthfilling, smoky, and citric. Later steepings have been “younger” tasting to me and current steep #11 is back to alfalfa, green, and mouth watering. It isn’t the most intense tuo I’ve had, but it holds my interest, and I keep coming back to it for the taste and experience. Quite nice all in all.
Preparation
I have been drinking the 2005 Six Famous Tea Mountain Jia Ji Raw Pu-erh Tuocha from Mengla in Xishuangbanna for the last three days. (Purchased here: http://www.tuochatea.com/6ftm-jia-ji-pu-erh-tuocha-p2/). It is quite interesting as it has changed each time I’ve tried it over several days. I brews to a light orange color, and at first was rich, mouthfilling, smoky, and citric. Later steepings have been “younger” tasting to me and current steep #11 is back to alfalfa, green, and mouth watering. It isn’t the most intense tuo I’ve had, but it holds my interest, and I keep coming back to it for the taste and experience. Quite nice all in all.
Preparation
This tea has really mellowed in the last two years. It brews to a light orange color, and is both gentle and flavorful. Interesting flavors of grass, oranges, and honey linger in my taste with increased salivation, and a slight touch of bitterness at the end. An altogether pleasant experience.
Flavors: Grass, Honey, Orange Zest