2007 Jingjiatang Bada Raw Puerh Cake

A solid puerh for everyday drinking. Strong bitter and earthy taste. Make sure not to overbrew it, or it will dry out your mouth and throat.

Finally getting around to trying this. 10 gram sample split into 5 gram chunks, so I threw a chunk into one of the small gaiwans I recently made, since I should probably use them more often. Smoky and fruity aroma off the dry leaves that persists once the leaves are washed. As the chunk starts to open up, a bit of an earthy aroma arises as well. The aroma definitely has some ripe characteristics.

The liquor is a light gold the becomes more orange throughout the session and it is very light and smooth. Fruity with a bit of tobacco and wood. Very gentle viscosity. I am getting a bit of huigan, as well. Definitely do get chi off of this.

The longer this session goes on, the more the sort of woody, dusty, very slightly earthy flavors push to the forefront. A bit of a lasting throat sensation starts to build up, as well. All in all, I’d say this one makes for a good and pretty affordable daily drinker. rhinkle really likes it, so I’d look into getting more of it!

I’m finding as I get more into my whirlwind romance with the bitterness of young sheng that I am beginning to look for some with age on it when I want more but different. I find them a bit easier.

This has about 10 years on it which is my ballpark/laymans age where (i) can really experience what ageing does to puerh.

The first few steeps were light, and I was pushing the timing, getting to s5@1:30 where the cakes bitterness suddenly popped up alongside a nice tart/tannic fruit. I just smelled the gaiwan and got subtle cumin & yummy fruit which made me think of mango chutney with cumin & fenugreek. Nom. It doesnt actually smell like that but for some reason makes me think of it.

Classic aged woodsy notes, and tobacco in the bitter taste. I am enjoying the departure from my usual young sheng/region training I have been really working on last year. I am appreciating the bitterness of tea like this more due to that. Slight raisin fruit under all of this as well. Its tannic but a nice tannic.

its a nice exploration taste fruit being the most subtle, wood/age in the middle & bitterness on top. Not bad at all for the price, which is really cheap. At this present moment its even cheaper for anyone outside of the UK. About 10p/gram, really fairly priced.

I was hitting it with 10g/100ml gaiwan & quite long steeps.

Getting into this one tonight. I actually brought it out and rinsed it and sit it a while.
I grabbed about 10 grams off the cake. It has a bit of compression and came off in chunks and that was the rinse and wait basis.
The first 3 brews were very light on aroma and taste. My guess was the compression still opening up. The tea does have a nice golden color to it. Steeps 4-5 bring out the Bada Shan side of it. There is more in the way of a light floral aroma to it and there is the touch of bitterness cutting through the floral. Steeps 6,7,8 start to kick in nicely. The tea becomes stronger with a tobacco in there with the bitterness.
Pushing it a bit harder it comes across a bit tannic and the bitterness and tobacco kind of overpower the rest. I will brew the rest with shorter steeps. Dropping back for brews 9,10,11 the brew calms down and some hint of maybe lemon and saltiness emerge.
The tea as it cools down has a sweet sugary undertone. I let it sit and cool a touch on steep 11. I think this tea will go a few more as it still carries along fairly well.