127 Tasting Notes
This batch was slightly off I tasted nothing but astringent malt, usually I got smooth cocoa and molasses but this batch seemed to remind me exactly of mountian teas imperial pearl but this tea was less complex and less interesting. I used to really like this tea when I first tried, glad I had a sample before I bought more.
Fairly light almost seemed like a fall harvest? If I really pushed it I tasted the sour citric bulang terrior but surprising tame for young sheng. I will have to try again in a week or so.
Flavors: Citrus, Pleasantly Sour
Not bad
I definitely got aged fruity flavor but only the cusp I believe this tea will be a lot better in the near future and if I am not mistaken white2tea carried this cake recently which is always a good sign. There was a nice scent still slight yiwu with a mild aged fruity smell and it being middle aged still had some bitterness. My issue was this tea was terrible thin and not texture at all. My aged tea benchmark is White Whale and personally I prefer white whale, which is thicker better longevity and more energy. This tea gave me a relaxed tea drunk but didn’t knock me on my ass thankfully as I have work to do tonight still.
In conclusion I don’t think it was worth the price I paid for the sample but my aged tuition tea bill is a lot small than other categories.
Flavors: Fruity, Red Fruits
Preparation
Baseline woody shu
I remember this being thicker for some reason all I got out of this session was woody shu which wasn’t bad just nothing unique. For my money his old tea nuggets are way better but that maybe apples and oranges as the flavor profile are different but also the variation of shupu. Either way I wont be repurchasing which is fine because paul has boat loads of other great teas.
Flavors: Wet Wood, Wood
Preparation
Empty Stomach + Matcha + Young Sheng = Party time
Forgot to mention I started the day with matcha empty stomach followed my young sheng…. needless to say I felt like puking. When I say felt like puking I don’t mean “oh em gee that girls instagram is gross, puke” I mean you are 6-7 shots deep on cheap plastic handle vodka and your friends say one more ! with results in your mouth uncontrollable mouth watering to lubricate the reverse of traffic out of your esophagus tandem with the involuntary crunches like an impromptu 6 min abs video.
Now Im sure many of you are saying duh empty stomach matcha alone should equal you on your knees praying to the porcelain gods but I was always the Macho man, back to back young raw bulang on empty stomach and low fat diet, routinely start my day off with matcha if I needed to be up and alert for extended hours, etc. But my limit seems to be the masochistic combination of empty+ matcha+ young sheng
Apologizes if any of this is lowbrow but it is more for my reference than anything and if I could make some of these private I would
Meh
I suppose this can be a polarizing tea, before looking it up I tried my sample to remove any biases price or otherwise related. I recognized xiang as smell didn’t make out the gu hua part until after. The smell was too muddled for me to get anyone thing out of it I would say complex but they all came at once and disappeared just as fast which made me think this was a blend. The sip was just as confusing I tasted a bunch of banna notes first it seemed like hekai sweetness then nanuo fruity/floral but ended with a sour strange taste that was off putting. Being puer I figured give it a chance maybe it will improve.
Long story short it didn’t as a tell tale sign (for me personally because I always feel wasteful and disrespectful to the producers if I don’t finish all the leaves have to give ) I dumped the session before hitting brew 6 or 7. Sure enough I looked it up it was a blend, also the name was in reference to osmanthus flower which I loathe anyhow so maybe I am not the best to judge this tea.
Not to be a snob but I am not partial to blends well to clarify leftover/scrapes blends which this maybe or maybe not be but the flavors/aroma were out of sync. instead of being layered. I do not underestimate the art or skill it takes to make a good puer blend, it’s far from your average english breakfast random hong cha tossed in willy nilly. Puer being so complex and multifaceted with endless variables. I mean no disrespect as I stated it must be near impossible to make a good blend for young sheng non-plantation tea.
Feels good to start running through my samples and find things I don’t like as my wallet is battered and it’s fresh tea season.
Preparation
Preface I have had a lingering head cold nothing major but my nose and throat are dry which has a big impact on taste and smell obviously.
I got more of the herbal tonic flavor this time but still chasing its fragrance. When I peak inside the steaming gaiwan after the liquor has been poured I get light whiffs of pomegranate. Definitely a slightly sweet menghai profile with playful tannic astringency. The fragrance hints at red fruits so hopefully it’s foreshadowing flavors to come. I am not completely sold on it’s worth but did a blind buy based on those wiser and more experienced then myself, hopefully I will be proven wrong in due time.
Preparation
Spoiled to call this my staple, wish I had got a tong when I had the chance. I wont repeat all the reasons I enjoy this but to reinforced this isnt the most complex or gushu material it is just good honest bulang. I love this stuff and I am not sure if not taste buds have become accustom to this tea or what but it just tastes nice and sweet I could hardly make it bitter. I especially enjoy the way the tea coats the tongue and roof of the mouth and slowly drys. I could feel it slide down the sides of my tongue and slightly dry out the roof of my mouth.
Side note I had some cold brewed bai hao yin zhen prior and the whole day I felt incredibly tea drunk so I think I isolated this whole dopey numb feeling with puer and bai cha maybe theanine over dose? Not literally over dose but there were times when I was literally hearing and seeing everything distorted for a good hour or so. My pupils were so constricted I could have passed for a doper. Another note to self don’t combine white tea and puer unless you don’t mind being in a dopey, extremely mild hallucinogenic state for 70% of the day lol. I love when people ask whats the matter and I almost say “too much tea” but to the uninitiated that sounds unfathomable so I usually lie and insert something more relatable.
yikes :)
huh? why are you ordering a bitter puerh?