Tasting Notes: 1960s Bao Zhong aged oolong, sample sent by Stephane this summer. Second tasting (and the end of my sample).
Prepared gong fu style, water at a good boil (about 205 degrees). The first time I prepared this, I was too tentative. The tea needs hot water to really unlock its potential, and I’m glad to have increased the temp just a bit the second time around.
The resulting color is that reddish-brown mahogany tone that I’ve experienced with other aged oolongs. The scent in the aroma cup is of sweet cherry tobacco. At least, this is the aroma I imagined when reading descriptions of the way a grandfather’s jacket smelled of tobacco. Neither of my grandfathers were pipe-smokers, so this is pure imagination on my part. :)
Perhaps more familiar to me is the smell of roasting marshmellows around a campfire. This tea does not taste of roasted marshmallows, but there’s something similar in the way the sweetness meets with a burnt aroma, against the backdrop of the big open spaces of the wilderness. This is partly because the very light floral nature of the bao zhong comes through like a whiff of open space. The last of the aftertaste is of this greener, wilder essence, yet the scent in the aroma cup is still sweet and toasty.
So, I find this tea goes from a sweet beginning to a somewhat tart finish, which is what distinguishes it from the other two aged oolongs I've tried. The lingering green-floral-tart flavor stays at the back of the tongue. Very nice, and it makes me want to revisit those other aged oolongs -– will compare/contrast those on my personal blog soon.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Friday, September 23, 2005
Kali Cha: Darjeeling or Oolong?
(cross-posted to Cup of Tea and a Blog)
I know this is an Indian tea and we're mostly looking at teas from China and Taiwan here, but this is a truly unique darjeeling. Those of you on the Teamail list have already read the buzz about it. Here are my tasting notes.
I ordered my Kali Cha from Tao of Tea (listed under oolongs, not darjeelings). I received the tea earlier this week and have sampled it twice now. Both times I’ve brewed the tea gong fu style in a gaiwan, heaping a spoonful (good-sized pinch) of leaves, rinsed then steeped in water brought to a boil.
Dry Leaves – quick sniff is all it takes to smell the chocolate that others have noticed. It’s not cocoa, like I get from golden yunnans, but a chocolate. There’s also just a hint of berry or perhaps grape. Is this that “wine” aroma/flavor that is often used to describe darjeelings? The leaves are long, thin, wiry, almost like an Oriental Beauty (but not quite as long and without the OB’s tri-color). The Kali Cha leaves are mostly a reddish-chocolatey-brown, with a few gold tips.
As I poured off the water from rinsing, the steam rose into my face and I said “wow!” There’s definitely quite a bit of aroma, almost coffee-like, perhaps because of the roasting process? I wouldn’t describe this as a true coffee, or even chocolate, but the aroma shares a familiar trait with both of those.
When I sniff the leaves, a hint of the toasted coconut scent that I equate with medium to dark-roast oolongs is present. There’s a definite sweetness coming through. The color of the tea is lighter than I thought it might be, but there’s quite a red tinge to the liquid. The color reminds me of red-velvet cake.
First steep: Very nice, but not really chocolate in flavor. Roasted. Smokey.
Second steep: still holding its flavor quite nicely.
Third steep: the leaves are unfurling more and the liquid is taking on more of a green cast. I finally get a sense of what another Teamailer referred to as “pencil shavings.” It’s not as off-putting as you might think, but I preferred the first two steepings.
Overall: I do like the roasted notes and appreciate the sweet nature of this tea. Most darjeelings I’ve tried have been too citric for my taste, but this one isn’t. Quite nice. I’m surprised to find myself liking a Darjeeling.
Which brings me to the big question: is a darjeeling tea really a darjeeling without any standard darjeeling characteristics?
I do find this to be more similar to oolongs, mostly because it’s sweeter and less fruity than I expect from a Darjeeling (which may be incorrect expectation on my part). It is worth noting, however, that Tao of Tea lists this in their oolongs but not in the darjeeling teas.
The Kali Cha especially brings to mind more heavily roasted and aged oolongs, but it has some notable differences that make it unique. First, the aroma rises off in the steam instead of staying in the cup. When I used the aroma-tasting cup combo, there was no lingering scent in the cup. However, the whole upstairs of my house was beautifully fragrant from this tea. Second, this seems to want a longer brewing time than most of the oolongs I’ve tried. It is a robust tea, but it doesn’t go bitter – quite forgiving, actually.
Is the sweet and gentle side to this tea evident in other Darjeelings? I prefer this to the more astringent notes of wine or the ripening peach flavor that had been my previous experience with Darjeeling.
Note to Stephane: I don't know if Tao of Tea delivers to Taiwan, but if you'd like to try this tea just let me know. I'll send some overseas, so you can tell us what you think of this "oolong-darjeeling." That offer stands for other contributing members of Cha Do as well (not sure where we all live).
I know this is an Indian tea and we're mostly looking at teas from China and Taiwan here, but this is a truly unique darjeeling. Those of you on the Teamail list have already read the buzz about it. Here are my tasting notes.
I ordered my Kali Cha from Tao of Tea (listed under oolongs, not darjeelings). I received the tea earlier this week and have sampled it twice now. Both times I’ve brewed the tea gong fu style in a gaiwan, heaping a spoonful (good-sized pinch) of leaves, rinsed then steeped in water brought to a boil.
Dry Leaves – quick sniff is all it takes to smell the chocolate that others have noticed. It’s not cocoa, like I get from golden yunnans, but a chocolate. There’s also just a hint of berry or perhaps grape. Is this that “wine” aroma/flavor that is often used to describe darjeelings? The leaves are long, thin, wiry, almost like an Oriental Beauty (but not quite as long and without the OB’s tri-color). The Kali Cha leaves are mostly a reddish-chocolatey-brown, with a few gold tips.
As I poured off the water from rinsing, the steam rose into my face and I said “wow!” There’s definitely quite a bit of aroma, almost coffee-like, perhaps because of the roasting process? I wouldn’t describe this as a true coffee, or even chocolate, but the aroma shares a familiar trait with both of those.
When I sniff the leaves, a hint of the toasted coconut scent that I equate with medium to dark-roast oolongs is present. There’s a definite sweetness coming through. The color of the tea is lighter than I thought it might be, but there’s quite a red tinge to the liquid. The color reminds me of red-velvet cake.
First steep: Very nice, but not really chocolate in flavor. Roasted. Smokey.
Second steep: still holding its flavor quite nicely.
Third steep: the leaves are unfurling more and the liquid is taking on more of a green cast. I finally get a sense of what another Teamailer referred to as “pencil shavings.” It’s not as off-putting as you might think, but I preferred the first two steepings.
Overall: I do like the roasted notes and appreciate the sweet nature of this tea. Most darjeelings I’ve tried have been too citric for my taste, but this one isn’t. Quite nice. I’m surprised to find myself liking a Darjeeling.
Which brings me to the big question: is a darjeeling tea really a darjeeling without any standard darjeeling characteristics?
I do find this to be more similar to oolongs, mostly because it’s sweeter and less fruity than I expect from a Darjeeling (which may be incorrect expectation on my part). It is worth noting, however, that Tao of Tea lists this in their oolongs but not in the darjeeling teas.
The Kali Cha especially brings to mind more heavily roasted and aged oolongs, but it has some notable differences that make it unique. First, the aroma rises off in the steam instead of staying in the cup. When I used the aroma-tasting cup combo, there was no lingering scent in the cup. However, the whole upstairs of my house was beautifully fragrant from this tea. Second, this seems to want a longer brewing time than most of the oolongs I’ve tried. It is a robust tea, but it doesn’t go bitter – quite forgiving, actually.
Is the sweet and gentle side to this tea evident in other Darjeelings? I prefer this to the more astringent notes of wine or the ripening peach flavor that had been my previous experience with Darjeeling.
Note to Stephane: I don't know if Tao of Tea delivers to Taiwan, but if you'd like to try this tea just let me know. I'll send some overseas, so you can tell us what you think of this "oolong-darjeeling." That offer stands for other contributing members of Cha Do as well (not sure where we all live).
12-year Aged Oolong
Some of you will have seen these tasting notes already on Teamail, but I figured that cross-posting them here is okay. I'll be posting a couple of older tasting notes, but new reviews are coming soon. :)
12-year aged Oolong, Hou De Fine Tea
Rinsed, then brewed for 1 minute. Water temp apprx. 195
Color: a deep red tone, almost mahogany
Taste: darker, deeper, not smoky but quite “toasty” – a more roasted flavor than I had expected (but then, I really had no idea what to expect). There is another sweeter flavor that comes through behind the roasted tones, but I can’t quite place it. I suppose it’s more floral than fruity, but in a subtle way. It reminds me of the hint of clover and blackberry flower tones in the honey I buy at a local farmer’s market (not the honey flavor itself, but that taste behind it).
Second brewing, 2 minutes: I’m finding that I actually like this more as the water cools a bit. The second brewing was just as toasty in taste and aroma, but the floral taste mellowed.
Third brewing, 3 minutes: Still holding up – the color is still a light red-brown, and the toasty flavor is quite prominent. With the third rebrewing, I really started to ponder the “musty” notes to the tea. This is not a bad thing, but an intriguing one. It reminds me of lovely hours spent in second-hand bookstores and university archives (yup, I love old books). Now, the tea does NOT taste like old books, but there is a definite musty-aged sensation that is quite pleasant.
Out of curiosity, I left the used leaves in water overnight. The leaves are quite durable, almost elastic or rubbery in texture. I
wanted to see if they would unfurl and soften after soaking for a while nope, not at all. They hold up to water in an amazing way. Oh, and the water was reddish-brown, still with the roasted aroma. Very interesting!
12-year aged Oolong, Hou De Fine Tea
Rinsed, then brewed for 1 minute. Water temp apprx. 195
Color: a deep red tone, almost mahogany
Taste: darker, deeper, not smoky but quite “toasty” – a more roasted flavor than I had expected (but then, I really had no idea what to expect). There is another sweeter flavor that comes through behind the roasted tones, but I can’t quite place it. I suppose it’s more floral than fruity, but in a subtle way. It reminds me of the hint of clover and blackberry flower tones in the honey I buy at a local farmer’s market (not the honey flavor itself, but that taste behind it).
Second brewing, 2 minutes: I’m finding that I actually like this more as the water cools a bit. The second brewing was just as toasty in taste and aroma, but the floral taste mellowed.
Third brewing, 3 minutes: Still holding up – the color is still a light red-brown, and the toasty flavor is quite prominent. With the third rebrewing, I really started to ponder the “musty” notes to the tea. This is not a bad thing, but an intriguing one. It reminds me of lovely hours spent in second-hand bookstores and university archives (yup, I love old books). Now, the tea does NOT taste like old books, but there is a definite musty-aged sensation that is quite pleasant.
Out of curiosity, I left the used leaves in water overnight. The leaves are quite durable, almost elastic or rubbery in texture. I
wanted to see if they would unfurl and soften after soaking for a while nope, not at all. They hold up to water in an amazing way. Oh, and the water was reddish-brown, still with the roasted aroma. Very interesting!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Brick Tea
A lot of peple have a fascination with brick tea. And a lot of puer is made into brick tea. But many other teas are also made into compressed tea bricks. In fact, compressed tea is one of the oldest forms of tea, dating to the Tang dynasty. The popularity of loose tea came much later. Loose tea is a Ming dynasty tea drinking custom. So too, are gaiwans a Ming dynasty tea custom.
There was still some loose tea available in Tang China. But it just wasn't as popular back then as brick tea.
Today, you can still find compressed teas made from green teas, black teas, red teas, oolong teas. So there are quite a variety of brick teas other than puer.
It's puer (the modern, Pinyin spelling), or puerh (the older Wade-Giles spelling). In Cantonese you would spell it polei or ponei.
Actually, puer has been around since the Tang Dynasty. But there are so many other kinds of brick tea, that we shouldn't overlook them when discussing brick tea.
Do you know the proper way to brew compressed tea is to simmer it, not steep it? This is because the leaves are so tightly compressed together; they need the gentle force of simmering water to express the essence in the leaves.
You could still steep it to get a decent cup, but you will see a color change at the bottom of the cup, because the essence is still trying to be expressed from the leaves. So infusion is just too weak a method to brew brick tea.
Anyway, brick tea is popular with China's ethnic minorities that live in the mountainous areas. And at high altitudes, water boils at 80 C, instead of 100 C. So the water is much cooler - too cool for effectively steeping brick tea. Therefore, they have the practice of simmering their brick tea. That's another reason why brick tea enthusiasts simmer their tea – in accordance with the custom of the ethnic minorities who live in the mountains.
There was still some loose tea available in Tang China. But it just wasn't as popular back then as brick tea.
Today, you can still find compressed teas made from green teas, black teas, red teas, oolong teas. So there are quite a variety of brick teas other than puer.
It's puer (the modern, Pinyin spelling), or puerh (the older Wade-Giles spelling). In Cantonese you would spell it polei or ponei.
Actually, puer has been around since the Tang Dynasty. But there are so many other kinds of brick tea, that we shouldn't overlook them when discussing brick tea.
Do you know the proper way to brew compressed tea is to simmer it, not steep it? This is because the leaves are so tightly compressed together; they need the gentle force of simmering water to express the essence in the leaves.
You could still steep it to get a decent cup, but you will see a color change at the bottom of the cup, because the essence is still trying to be expressed from the leaves. So infusion is just too weak a method to brew brick tea.
Anyway, brick tea is popular with China's ethnic minorities that live in the mountainous areas. And at high altitudes, water boils at 80 C, instead of 100 C. So the water is much cooler - too cool for effectively steeping brick tea. Therefore, they have the practice of simmering their brick tea. That's another reason why brick tea enthusiasts simmer their tea – in accordance with the custom of the ethnic minorities who live in the mountains.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
New Pu Erh tasting
I feel that receiving these many samples and sharing the notes is fun and interesting. I don't really mind the number and the variety. However, I sense that we lack a standard for the 'good', the high quality pu-erh. And I think that this is also what Adrian has in mind: to focus on a tasting of really good pu-er, see why and how good it is.
So I propose to send you two samples of the following teas:
- 2003 wild Yi Wu, raw, sun dried qizi bing cha. I bought 7+7 cakes (each 500 gr) through Teaparker (one set for me, on for my son). Retail price in Taiwan: around 1000 USD (the whole 7 pack! or approx. 28 USD per 100 grams). It's the only tea Teaparker sold us (except one larger sample of Bi lo chun). I don't have a good access to the source and am therefore not selling this tea. (But I do have a 2001 wild Yi Wu, which is cheaper, very good, but still not as superb as this one...) Danny already had the opportunity to taste it and found it 'beyond comparison' to the young pu-ers of his sampling (maybe he wants to tell you more about it?).
- 1990 wild Jiang Cheng brick (sun dried). (XXX USD for the 300 grams brick). This is a tea from my pu-er importer/wholesaler. Teaparker prepared a Power Point presentation/instructions to accompany this brick and also recommends it. I have written plenty about it in my blog.
For old pu-ers, the 'good' become quickly very expensive, so I choose this one to remain kind of reasonable. I hope that the fact I'm selling it will not lessen your interest in tasting it.
(Since Adrian has bought this brick, I propose to send him a sample of the same brick from 1988 to give him a peak at how it will evolve in 2 years.)
My secret hope is to trigger a kind of competition between us where we would try to impress each other with the best in our tea cellars, in search of pu-er excellence. But there is no obligation to reciprocate, of course.
This would also simplify the cost matter: the sender bears all costs.
What I need now is your mailing addresses, if you're interested. (Except for Adrian and Danny, who already gave them).
Who's in? (Reserved to the members of this blog who send me their mailing address by next Monday. Maximum 12)
So I propose to send you two samples of the following teas:
- 2003 wild Yi Wu, raw, sun dried qizi bing cha. I bought 7+7 cakes (each 500 gr) through Teaparker (one set for me, on for my son). Retail price in Taiwan: around 1000 USD (the whole 7 pack! or approx. 28 USD per 100 grams). It's the only tea Teaparker sold us (except one larger sample of Bi lo chun). I don't have a good access to the source and am therefore not selling this tea. (But I do have a 2001 wild Yi Wu, which is cheaper, very good, but still not as superb as this one...) Danny already had the opportunity to taste it and found it 'beyond comparison' to the young pu-ers of his sampling (maybe he wants to tell you more about it?).
- 1990 wild Jiang Cheng brick (sun dried). (XXX USD for the 300 grams brick). This is a tea from my pu-er importer/wholesaler. Teaparker prepared a Power Point presentation/instructions to accompany this brick and also recommends it. I have written plenty about it in my blog.
For old pu-ers, the 'good' become quickly very expensive, so I choose this one to remain kind of reasonable. I hope that the fact I'm selling it will not lessen your interest in tasting it.
(Since Adrian has bought this brick, I propose to send him a sample of the same brick from 1988 to give him a peak at how it will evolve in 2 years.)
My secret hope is to trigger a kind of competition between us where we would try to impress each other with the best in our tea cellars, in search of pu-er excellence. But there is no obligation to reciprocate, of course.
This would also simplify the cost matter: the sender bears all costs.
What I need now is your mailing addresses, if you're interested. (Except for Adrian and Danny, who already gave them).
Who's in? (Reserved to the members of this blog who send me their mailing address by next Monday. Maximum 12)
Monday, September 12, 2005
Adrian on Danny's Teas
Hi All:
A pleasure to read Gerry's tasting notes, which win the prize for good humor and poetic license and accuracy, etc.
I thought I'd re-post mine here to make it easier for it all to be in one place. Where are the other notes? Corax I'll read yours now.
Mine:
- Hong Tai Chang Cooked Pu'er, 1980s(?), Cooked - Hong Tai Chang Tea Company
method: 5.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan - water off boil
brown, black, & rusty leaf
aroma in heated gaiwan: sweet & baky -- no hint of ammonia
rinse (15): sweet, hint of cough syrup; a lovely smell -- no acidic
cup (15): sweet smell of bread baking at bottom of poured-off gaiwan.
reddish orange liquor.
leaves still dense, going to be lovely when they open up and come alive
cup (20): i can smell and taste the cooked aged pu-erh -- hints of camphor. no bitterness. a nice tea.
cup (25): aroma mellow & sweet
dark red liquor
subtle and mellow.
did not really "come alive" as i'd imagined it might -- past it's peak? -- no overpowering, or even distinctive, taste, but a pleasant and mellow aged tea. i stopped taking notes but drank many cups of it; can't ask for more than that, eh?
- Xia Guan Iron Pu'er Cake, 2002, Uncooked - Xia Guan Tea Factory
method: 5.9 gr/100ml gaiwan - water off of a boil.
brown broken leaf on surface, greener variations on the inside. dry leaf smells of cherry & smoke, a familiar characteristic.
leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: eggs & burnt toast
rinse (20): grass & cigarette smoke in the cup. not much sweetness. burnt (something) & smoke. liquid in cup brews sharp & clear, with a nice shine.
cup (15): brick is still tightly together. leaves green.
first sip almost "malty" (like hint a yunnan gold tips black tea) -- just hints of it. lid aroma: burn.
malty hint makes me think it will age well. no smokiness in the taste. almost like caramel. leaves are tight so
it is underbrewing.
cup (20): lid: smoky, burnt cigarettes. first sip tannic up front. it is opening up to the water.
starting to taste the pepper on the lips & and burnt/ash at back of mouth.
halfway through the cup the "yun" is caramel & peppered steak.
as the cup progresses: cigarettes.
cup (25): tannic and pervasive cigarette smoke. strong, nice if you like the flavor (which i do sometimes).
powerful effect of drying the mouth AND making me salivate (at the back of the throat?)
I wrote "nice feelings" and stopped taking notes. This seems like a nice enough tea. I like the taste that comes back, the aftertaste, the yun, which has a spectrum from sharp and tangy and sweet and green, with bitter and burnt and fishy and leathery mixed in there on the curve. but the teas that seem to have the best aftertaste leave a kind of peppery dryness of the lips, with the back of the throat feeling like "peppered steak" -- (close, but not exact taste; heard it called mint, too) -- and this one had a hint of that then disappeared. i'd drink this again in five years to see what happened. seems flavorful but confused.
- Chongqing Tuocha, early 90s, Mixed(?) - Sichuan
method: 5.6 gr/100ml gaiwan - water off of a boil
leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: indistinct. tight leaves. i expect flavor to emerge.
rinse (20): lid aroma: almost fruity, beyond the familiar "ammonia"
cup aroma: ammonia, but mellow as though aged appropriately
liquor not red but lightly orange.
cup (20): eggs in the lid aroma.
clear liquid, and the piece of tea cake is dense and tight, unopened yet. a bit of taste.
going to let it sit and rehydrate.
cup (25): red glow in the liquor, a sweet earthy smell in the air. a mellow cup.
i drank eight cups and it came alive -- no mustiness. mellow and sweet. a nice, not particularly overwhelming, mellow aged tea that keeps going and going. expected a little more flavor from it. maybe my brewing style is wrong for aged teas of the sort.
d. Xishuangbanna Pu'er Cake, 2003, Uncooked - Chang Tai Tea Company
method: 5.5 gr/100 ml gaiwan
rinse (15): fishy smell in lid, sour in the cup. unpleasant associations.
cup (15): not much flavor. need to brew longer? not much aftertaste/
cup (35): insipid. not much flavor, even after longer brew. still no aftertaste.
stopped drinking here. my least favorite of the teas.
e. YiWu region Wild Grown Pu'er, 2003, Uncooked - Xinghai Tea Factory
method: 5.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan
aroma in heated gaiwan: vegetation, ash, and chocolate.
rinse (15): clear crisp liquid.
chocolate aroma -- strong enough to call fudge.
sour and sweet blended -- but a subtle ring only, in the air.
malty at the bottom of the cup.
cup (12): rusty vegetal
even in this first cup a nice & mellow "yun" is emerging
creamy pepper. i like it already.
mild burnt sugar.
no substantial aftertaste afterall ... maybe
cup (15): leaves have come apart quickly; liquid brew is gold.
expect a big taste to this, question is: duration...
starting to taste like a typical young green: mild yun.
yun/aftertaste is mellow but good.
cup (20): making my mouth dry now. brew is still gold. mouth VERY dry.
cup (25): a good tea -- but the subtle arc of taste of time should/could be bolder.
probably one of my faves in the bunch. running out of things to say, i drank it for a few more cups then stopped.
f. Long Yuan Label Pu'er, 2002, Uncooked - Dadugang Tea Factory
method: 4.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan
rinse (15): lid aroma: fishy
cup aroma: smoky
in the air: sweetness
cup (10): smoky lid
smoky first sip but none of the expected "cigarette" flavor...
pleasant enough for a smoky tea. seems to be quite thirst quenching & refreshing.
cup (15): leaves look nice in the cup. opening up. distinct, varieties of green & brown ...
coming alive after rinsing.
i was distracted by something and stopped taking notes. they seem to say it wasn't an altogether unpleasant tea for me, but i have no memory of liking it either. whatever that means.
g. Dayi Label 7542 Pu'er, 2000, Uncooked - Menghai Tea Factory
method: 4.9 gr/100ml gaiwan
aroma in heated gaiwan: toast
rinse (15): clear crisp liquid in pour
sour ring in air
cherry & tobacco in the lid aroma (wet cigarettes?)
pleasant cherry &smoke in cup
cup (10): crystal clear liquid
light - not bitter or sour
cup (15): more orange in the cup
dense leaves so the steep is too slight. some bite but nothing to distinguish it.
cup (20): opening up. slightly bitter but in a good way.
nice aftertaste because of the smoky bitterness.
after a while i wrote in my notes: "nice peppered mouthfeel & glow"
h. Jingmai Region Wild Pu-erh 2003, SFTMt.
method: 6gr/100ml gaiwan
in heated gaiwan: a sour pickled smell/hint, like a memory of a Chinese grocer
rinse (15): sour/sweet ring in the air, favoring sour
cup (15): sour ring in the air
crisp liquid - yellow towards orange
light vegetal in the first sip
cup (20): light & greenish in its taste. needs to open.
some cherry half way through the cup
cup (25): hint of bitter but ultimately not that flavorful
unable to get that much out of it
A pleasure to read Gerry's tasting notes, which win the prize for good humor and poetic license and accuracy, etc.
I thought I'd re-post mine here to make it easier for it all to be in one place. Where are the other notes? Corax I'll read yours now.
Mine:
- Hong Tai Chang Cooked Pu'er, 1980s(?), Cooked - Hong Tai Chang Tea Company
method: 5.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan - water off boil
brown, black, & rusty leaf
aroma in heated gaiwan: sweet & baky -- no hint of ammonia
rinse (15): sweet, hint of cough syrup; a lovely smell -- no acidic
cup (15): sweet smell of bread baking at bottom of poured-off gaiwan.
reddish orange liquor.
leaves still dense, going to be lovely when they open up and come alive
cup (20): i can smell and taste the cooked aged pu-erh -- hints of camphor. no bitterness. a nice tea.
cup (25): aroma mellow & sweet
dark red liquor
subtle and mellow.
did not really "come alive" as i'd imagined it might -- past it's peak? -- no overpowering, or even distinctive, taste, but a pleasant and mellow aged tea. i stopped taking notes but drank many cups of it; can't ask for more than that, eh?
- Xia Guan Iron Pu'er Cake, 2002, Uncooked - Xia Guan Tea Factory
method: 5.9 gr/100ml gaiwan - water off of a boil.
brown broken leaf on surface, greener variations on the inside. dry leaf smells of cherry & smoke, a familiar characteristic.
leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: eggs & burnt toast
rinse (20): grass & cigarette smoke in the cup. not much sweetness. burnt (something) & smoke. liquid in cup brews sharp & clear, with a nice shine.
cup (15): brick is still tightly together. leaves green.
first sip almost "malty" (like hint a yunnan gold tips black tea) -- just hints of it. lid aroma: burn.
malty hint makes me think it will age well. no smokiness in the taste. almost like caramel. leaves are tight so
it is underbrewing.
cup (20): lid: smoky, burnt cigarettes. first sip tannic up front. it is opening up to the water.
starting to taste the pepper on the lips & and burnt/ash at back of mouth.
halfway through the cup the "yun" is caramel & peppered steak.
as the cup progresses: cigarettes.
cup (25): tannic and pervasive cigarette smoke. strong, nice if you like the flavor (which i do sometimes).
powerful effect of drying the mouth AND making me salivate (at the back of the throat?)
I wrote "nice feelings" and stopped taking notes. This seems like a nice enough tea. I like the taste that comes back, the aftertaste, the yun, which has a spectrum from sharp and tangy and sweet and green, with bitter and burnt and fishy and leathery mixed in there on the curve. but the teas that seem to have the best aftertaste leave a kind of peppery dryness of the lips, with the back of the throat feeling like "peppered steak" -- (close, but not exact taste; heard it called mint, too) -- and this one had a hint of that then disappeared. i'd drink this again in five years to see what happened. seems flavorful but confused.
- Chongqing Tuocha, early 90s, Mixed(?) - Sichuan
method: 5.6 gr/100ml gaiwan - water off of a boil
leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: indistinct. tight leaves. i expect flavor to emerge.
rinse (20): lid aroma: almost fruity, beyond the familiar "ammonia"
cup aroma: ammonia, but mellow as though aged appropriately
liquor not red but lightly orange.
cup (20): eggs in the lid aroma.
clear liquid, and the piece of tea cake is dense and tight, unopened yet. a bit of taste.
going to let it sit and rehydrate.
cup (25): red glow in the liquor, a sweet earthy smell in the air. a mellow cup.
i drank eight cups and it came alive -- no mustiness. mellow and sweet. a nice, not particularly overwhelming, mellow aged tea that keeps going and going. expected a little more flavor from it. maybe my brewing style is wrong for aged teas of the sort.
d. Xishuangbanna Pu'er Cake, 2003, Uncooked - Chang Tai Tea Company
method: 5.5 gr/100 ml gaiwan
rinse (15): fishy smell in lid, sour in the cup. unpleasant associations.
cup (15): not much flavor. need to brew longer? not much aftertaste/
cup (35): insipid. not much flavor, even after longer brew. still no aftertaste.
stopped drinking here. my least favorite of the teas.
e. YiWu region Wild Grown Pu'er, 2003, Uncooked - Xinghai Tea Factory
method: 5.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan
aroma in heated gaiwan: vegetation, ash, and chocolate.
rinse (15): clear crisp liquid.
chocolate aroma -- strong enough to call fudge.
sour and sweet blended -- but a subtle ring only, in the air.
malty at the bottom of the cup.
cup (12): rusty vegetal
even in this first cup a nice & mellow "yun" is emerging
creamy pepper. i like it already.
mild burnt sugar.
no substantial aftertaste afterall ... maybe
cup (15): leaves have come apart quickly; liquid brew is gold.
expect a big taste to this, question is: duration...
starting to taste like a typical young green: mild yun.
yun/aftertaste is mellow but good.
cup (20): making my mouth dry now. brew is still gold. mouth VERY dry.
cup (25): a good tea -- but the subtle arc of taste of time should/could be bolder.
probably one of my faves in the bunch. running out of things to say, i drank it for a few more cups then stopped.
f. Long Yuan Label Pu'er, 2002, Uncooked - Dadugang Tea Factory
method: 4.9 gr/100 ml gaiwan
rinse (15): lid aroma: fishy
cup aroma: smoky
in the air: sweetness
cup (10): smoky lid
smoky first sip but none of the expected "cigarette" flavor...
pleasant enough for a smoky tea. seems to be quite thirst quenching & refreshing.
cup (15): leaves look nice in the cup. opening up. distinct, varieties of green & brown ...
coming alive after rinsing.
i was distracted by something and stopped taking notes. they seem to say it wasn't an altogether unpleasant tea for me, but i have no memory of liking it either. whatever that means.
g. Dayi Label 7542 Pu'er, 2000, Uncooked - Menghai Tea Factory
method: 4.9 gr/100ml gaiwan
aroma in heated gaiwan: toast
rinse (15): clear crisp liquid in pour
sour ring in air
cherry & tobacco in the lid aroma (wet cigarettes?)
pleasant cherry &smoke in cup
cup (10): crystal clear liquid
light - not bitter or sour
cup (15): more orange in the cup
dense leaves so the steep is too slight. some bite but nothing to distinguish it.
cup (20): opening up. slightly bitter but in a good way.
nice aftertaste because of the smoky bitterness.
after a while i wrote in my notes: "nice peppered mouthfeel & glow"
h. Jingmai Region Wild Pu-erh 2003, SFTMt.
method: 6gr/100ml gaiwan
in heated gaiwan: a sour pickled smell/hint, like a memory of a Chinese grocer
rinse (15): sour/sweet ring in the air, favoring sour
cup (15): sour ring in the air
crisp liquid - yellow towards orange
light vegetal in the first sip
cup (20): light & greenish in its taste. needs to open.
some cherry half way through the cup
cup (25): hint of bitter but ultimately not that flavorful
unable to get that much out of it
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Corax on Jingmai Region Wild Grown Pu'er [Sheng, 2003], Six Famous Tea Mountain Company, Ltd
DRY LEAF:
--- color: a very dark greyish green with flecks of black
--- constituency: sturdy chunks that crumble into buds [like a tippy yunnan hongcha]
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale golden with a rosy, almost garnet cast
--- aroma: almost nil; what there was was a fresh scent like oxygen-rich air
--- taste: again, 'fresh' is the word that first springs to mind. very mild; clean; not astringent, not bitter. a flavor that is akin to smokiness without actually reaching to the smoky.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 120 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold, again a rosy cast
--- aroma: negligible
--- taste: i actually tasted this 'along the way' at 60 and 90 sec, and felt that it had not brewed sufficiently. at 120 sec it had become more assertive, and the vegetal notes were those that prevailed. there was also, however, a bit of bitterness to it. still not astringent. in the aftertaste the bitterness did not remain; the lasting impression was vegetal.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: paler gold, still rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: this infusion achieved at 90 sec what INF2 did at 120, but without the bitterness. what a difference thirty seconds can make. the old chinese oolong rule of 'three breaths' clearly has something to it.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale gold, less rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: now is when the smoky flavor comes forward. the three previous infusions had hinted at it, but in INF4 it is the predominant note. at 90 sec here, no bitterness; as clean a taste as 'smoky' can offer. ditto the aftertaste, which lingers assertively.
FIFTH INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: paler gold still, less rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: at 90 sec this liquor was so pale in color that i thought it would need longer to infuse, but the taste was even smokier than that of INF4. i felt that any longer would have been too long. in the cup it was a remarkable balance of potency and delicacy. it would be an interesting experiment to do five infusions of, say, a lapsang souchong and to see if one could produce an infusion both this smoky and this delicate.
COMMENTS: again an example of how puers constantly surprise. INF2 made me worry a bit that the tea could not 'go the distance,' but in fact the deficiency was mine -- in letting it over-infuse. ironically, i would say the fifth infusion was the best.
--- color: a very dark greyish green with flecks of black
--- constituency: sturdy chunks that crumble into buds [like a tippy yunnan hongcha]
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale golden with a rosy, almost garnet cast
--- aroma: almost nil; what there was was a fresh scent like oxygen-rich air
--- taste: again, 'fresh' is the word that first springs to mind. very mild; clean; not astringent, not bitter. a flavor that is akin to smokiness without actually reaching to the smoky.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 120 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold, again a rosy cast
--- aroma: negligible
--- taste: i actually tasted this 'along the way' at 60 and 90 sec, and felt that it had not brewed sufficiently. at 120 sec it had become more assertive, and the vegetal notes were those that prevailed. there was also, however, a bit of bitterness to it. still not astringent. in the aftertaste the bitterness did not remain; the lasting impression was vegetal.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: paler gold, still rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: this infusion achieved at 90 sec what INF2 did at 120, but without the bitterness. what a difference thirty seconds can make. the old chinese oolong rule of 'three breaths' clearly has something to it.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale gold, less rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: now is when the smoky flavor comes forward. the three previous infusions had hinted at it, but in INF4 it is the predominant note. at 90 sec here, no bitterness; as clean a taste as 'smoky' can offer. ditto the aftertaste, which lingers assertively.
FIFTH INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: paler gold still, less rosy
--- aroma: nil
--- taste: at 90 sec this liquor was so pale in color that i thought it would need longer to infuse, but the taste was even smokier than that of INF4. i felt that any longer would have been too long. in the cup it was a remarkable balance of potency and delicacy. it would be an interesting experiment to do five infusions of, say, a lapsang souchong and to see if one could produce an infusion both this smoky and this delicate.
COMMENTS: again an example of how puers constantly surprise. INF2 made me worry a bit that the tea could not 'go the distance,' but in fact the deficiency was mine -- in letting it over-infuse. ironically, i would say the fifth infusion was the best.
Corax on Dayi Label 7542 Pu'er [Sheng, 2000], Menghai Tea Factory
DRY LEAF:
--- color: a motley of green, brown, and black
--- constituency: very hard chunk
--- aroma: almost nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: pungent fish
--- taste: this infusion was a surprise to me. i did not expect there to be such a total *lack* of fishiness to the flavor. but when a fishy-smelling sheng puer is *not* fishy-tasting, as this is not, it often seems to run to the smoky -- which this also does not do. how to describe the way it actually does taste, however, is more difficult. mildly astringent; no bitterness.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold
--- aroma: milder, woody scent
--- taste: the woody flavor steps to the fore in this infusion. the astringency is at a level comparable to INF1.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold
--- aroma: negligible
--- taste: woody, moving toward papery. my sense is that the tea has given what it has to give by now. the tiniest bitterness creeping into the aftertaste.
FOURTH INF: none
COMMENTS: the experience of brewing this tea reminds one of how important it is not to judge a tea until one actually knows both its taste and its aftertaste. a much more pleasant tea than the initial whiff of the aroma of INF1 might have portended.
--- color: a motley of green, brown, and black
--- constituency: very hard chunk
--- aroma: almost nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: pungent fish
--- taste: this infusion was a surprise to me. i did not expect there to be such a total *lack* of fishiness to the flavor. but when a fishy-smelling sheng puer is *not* fishy-tasting, as this is not, it often seems to run to the smoky -- which this also does not do. how to describe the way it actually does taste, however, is more difficult. mildly astringent; no bitterness.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold
--- aroma: milder, woody scent
--- taste: the woody flavor steps to the fore in this infusion. the astringency is at a level comparable to INF1.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium gold
--- aroma: negligible
--- taste: woody, moving toward papery. my sense is that the tea has given what it has to give by now. the tiniest bitterness creeping into the aftertaste.
FOURTH INF: none
COMMENTS: the experience of brewing this tea reminds one of how important it is not to judge a tea until one actually knows both its taste and its aftertaste. a much more pleasant tea than the initial whiff of the aroma of INF1 might have portended.
Corax on Long Yuan Label Manzhuan Region [Sheng, 2002], Dadu Gang Tea Factory
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark brown with notes of green, grey, brown
--- constituency: a good solid chunk, firmly compressed
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale gold
--- aroma: fishy
--- taste: most sheng puer that smells fishy does not actually taste like fish; this one actually did. there was a subtle vegetal note in the background of this. not much aftertaste to speak of. not astringent.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 and 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [i] very pale gold; [ii] medium amber
--- aroma: [i] vegetal, faintly fishy; [ii] still fairly fishy
--- taste: [i] the taste of this is vegetal rather than fishy. no aftertaste or astringency. [ii] at 90 sec the vegetal note is more pronounced, along with the color of the liquor. something of a vegetal aftertaste now.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: still faintly fishy
--- taste: as before, except that a faint metallic note begins to emerge now.
FOURTH INF: none
COMMENTS: this seems a fairly mild but not a delicate tea. overall, not a terribly distinguished tea.
--- color: dark brown with notes of green, grey, brown
--- constituency: a good solid chunk, firmly compressed
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale gold
--- aroma: fishy
--- taste: most sheng puer that smells fishy does not actually taste like fish; this one actually did. there was a subtle vegetal note in the background of this. not much aftertaste to speak of. not astringent.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 and 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [i] very pale gold; [ii] medium amber
--- aroma: [i] vegetal, faintly fishy; [ii] still fairly fishy
--- taste: [i] the taste of this is vegetal rather than fishy. no aftertaste or astringency. [ii] at 90 sec the vegetal note is more pronounced, along with the color of the liquor. something of a vegetal aftertaste now.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: still faintly fishy
--- taste: as before, except that a faint metallic note begins to emerge now.
FOURTH INF: none
COMMENTS: this seems a fairly mild but not a delicate tea. overall, not a terribly distinguished tea.
Corax on YiWu Region Wild Grown Pu'er [Sheng, 2003], Xinghai Factory, Menghai
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark grey/green with brown flecks
--- constituency: fairly sturdily-compressed chunk
--- aroma: virtually nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber with a green cast
--- aroma: vegetal [cooked spinach?] with a background of smoke
--- taste: the smokiness was very subdued when it came to taste. there was a metallic taste in the liquor that dissipated somewhat in the aftertaste, leaving the vegetal and smoky notes on the tongue.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber, less greenish than INF1
--- aroma: like INF1 but noticeably weaker
--- taste: the smoky quality steps forward in this infusion. noticeably less metallic. more pleasant overall.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, no noticeable green
--- aroma: faintly smoky; very little vegetal
--- taste: mellow smoky; virtually no vegetal; very little aftertaste
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 and 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [both i and ii] pale/medium amber without green
--- aroma: [both i and ii] mild smoky
--- taste: [both i and ii] mild smoky; mild smoky aftertaste
FIFTH INF:
--- time: 60 and 120 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale yellow/gold
--- aroma: faint smoky
--- taste: very mild, slightly smoky, faint leafy aftertaste; delicious overall
COMMENTS: this is a very pleasant tea. it should be said that i tend to favor wild-grown puers and sheng in any case. the 'earth' factor tends to be lower in shengcha, and this one was no exception. i favor the smoky quality. the astringency was low here throughout the infusion process. i almost did not proceed to INF5, but i'm glad i did; i felt that this was in some ways the nicest infusion of all. certainly, and not surprisingly, the most delicate.
--- color: dark grey/green with brown flecks
--- constituency: fairly sturdily-compressed chunk
--- aroma: virtually nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber with a green cast
--- aroma: vegetal [cooked spinach?] with a background of smoke
--- taste: the smokiness was very subdued when it came to taste. there was a metallic taste in the liquor that dissipated somewhat in the aftertaste, leaving the vegetal and smoky notes on the tongue.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber, less greenish than INF1
--- aroma: like INF1 but noticeably weaker
--- taste: the smoky quality steps forward in this infusion. noticeably less metallic. more pleasant overall.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, no noticeable green
--- aroma: faintly smoky; very little vegetal
--- taste: mellow smoky; virtually no vegetal; very little aftertaste
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 and 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [both i and ii] pale/medium amber without green
--- aroma: [both i and ii] mild smoky
--- taste: [both i and ii] mild smoky; mild smoky aftertaste
FIFTH INF:
--- time: 60 and 120 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale yellow/gold
--- aroma: faint smoky
--- taste: very mild, slightly smoky, faint leafy aftertaste; delicious overall
COMMENTS: this is a very pleasant tea. it should be said that i tend to favor wild-grown puers and sheng in any case. the 'earth' factor tends to be lower in shengcha, and this one was no exception. i favor the smoky quality. the astringency was low here throughout the infusion process. i almost did not proceed to INF5, but i'm glad i did; i felt that this was in some ways the nicest infusion of all. certainly, and not surprisingly, the most delicate.
Corax on Xishuangbanna Pu'er Cake [Sheng, 2003], Jinggu Region Wild Plantation, Chang Tai Tea Company
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark olive with some light/med brown
--- constituency: biggish clots
--- aroma: the faintest piny/smoky in the bag; leaf up close was basically odorless
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber with a green cast
--- aroma: faint smoky/vegetal note
--- taste: surprisingly, the taste is *not* powerfully smoky, though that element is present. the taste is predominantly vegetal. very little astringency. aftertaste is quite green.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: less vegetal than INF1, still smoky
--- taste: INF2 presents a less complex range of flavors than INF1. a metallic note predominating this time. again, not astringent, and very little [greenish] aftertaste.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 2 minutes
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: virtually nil
--- taste: very faint vegetal/green; less metallic than INF2. again no astringency and little [greenish] aftertaste.
FOURTH INF: none.
COMMENTS: this tea started out subtle, but simply finished early. i would drink it again, but it does not seem to have the depth that other sheng puer evinces.
--- color: dark olive with some light/med brown
--- constituency: biggish clots
--- aroma: the faintest piny/smoky in the bag; leaf up close was basically odorless
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber with a green cast
--- aroma: faint smoky/vegetal note
--- taste: surprisingly, the taste is *not* powerfully smoky, though that element is present. the taste is predominantly vegetal. very little astringency. aftertaste is quite green.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: less vegetal than INF1, still smoky
--- taste: INF2 presents a less complex range of flavors than INF1. a metallic note predominating this time. again, not astringent, and very little [greenish] aftertaste.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 2 minutes
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: virtually nil
--- taste: very faint vegetal/green; less metallic than INF2. again no astringency and little [greenish] aftertaste.
FOURTH INF: none.
COMMENTS: this tea started out subtle, but simply finished early. i would drink it again, but it does not seem to have the depth that other sheng puer evinces.
Corax on Chongqing Tuocha [mixed?, early 1990s] Chongqing City, Sichuan Province
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark chocolate brown with russet highlights
--- constituency: a solid chunk, reluctant to crumble
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: fairly earthy though not terribly musty. this aroma dissipated almost entirely within a few minutes.
--- taste: earthy; more musty on the tongue than in the nostril. but there is a sweetness, almost an underripe peach, that enlivens the whole experience.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber [but darker than INF1]
--- aroma: still fairly earthy, but less musty than INF1
--- taste: stronger and more earthy than INF1. the musty note is more pronounced, and lingers on the tongue afterwards.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 1 min 45 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: dark-medium amber [darker still -- hmm]
--- aroma: about like INF2
--- taste: remarkable. this tea is getting *stronger*. perhaps the infusion-time for INF3 was too long; there is the slightest hint of a bitter note here. the mustiness is also more prominent.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: decanted twice, at 60 and 90 sec [call them 'i' and 'ii']
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [i] medium amber; [ii] noticeably darker -- what a difference 30 seconds can make.
--- aroma: [i] much attenuated; still some earthy, less musty. [ii] about the same as 4[i]. dissipated as time went on.
--- taste: [i] smoother by far than INF3, but of course a much shorter infusion. [ii] wow, *noticeably* more earthy/musty than INF4[i]. but no hint of bitterness as noted in INF3. was my tongue playing tricks on me?
FIFTH INF:
--- time: decanted twice, at 60 and 90 sec ['i' and 'ii' again]
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: even darker amber? these are about the same, both a medium hong
--- aroma: both about the same -- and both like 4[i] or so.
--- taste: ditto: [i] and [ii] here were not really distinguishable. the major taste here is must. as before, no bitterness, no astringency, but the aftertaste -- metallic -- did linger on the tongue.
COMMENTS: if there's sheng puer in this mix, i'll eat my hat. [LOL] no, actually, i can believe that this is indeed a mixed tea, because -- while one's immediate taste-experience makes one think of shu -- there is something markedly different about this tea: something that sets it apart from every other shu i've had. it can certainly hold its own with any of them. [of course i say that as someone that definitely prefers sheng.] i do wish i had not let the third infusion go as long as i did. that may have been a pivotal moment for the tea.
--- color: dark chocolate brown with russet highlights
--- constituency: a solid chunk, reluctant to crumble
--- aroma: nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: fairly earthy though not terribly musty. this aroma dissipated almost entirely within a few minutes.
--- taste: earthy; more musty on the tongue than in the nostril. but there is a sweetness, almost an underripe peach, that enlivens the whole experience.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber [but darker than INF1]
--- aroma: still fairly earthy, but less musty than INF1
--- taste: stronger and more earthy than INF1. the musty note is more pronounced, and lingers on the tongue afterwards.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 1 min 45 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: dark-medium amber [darker still -- hmm]
--- aroma: about like INF2
--- taste: remarkable. this tea is getting *stronger*. perhaps the infusion-time for INF3 was too long; there is the slightest hint of a bitter note here. the mustiness is also more prominent.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: decanted twice, at 60 and 90 sec [call them 'i' and 'ii']
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: [i] medium amber; [ii] noticeably darker -- what a difference 30 seconds can make.
--- aroma: [i] much attenuated; still some earthy, less musty. [ii] about the same as 4[i]. dissipated as time went on.
--- taste: [i] smoother by far than INF3, but of course a much shorter infusion. [ii] wow, *noticeably* more earthy/musty than INF4[i]. but no hint of bitterness as noted in INF3. was my tongue playing tricks on me?
FIFTH INF:
--- time: decanted twice, at 60 and 90 sec ['i' and 'ii' again]
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: even darker amber? these are about the same, both a medium hong
--- aroma: both about the same -- and both like 4[i] or so.
--- taste: ditto: [i] and [ii] here were not really distinguishable. the major taste here is must. as before, no bitterness, no astringency, but the aftertaste -- metallic -- did linger on the tongue.
COMMENTS: if there's sheng puer in this mix, i'll eat my hat. [LOL] no, actually, i can believe that this is indeed a mixed tea, because -- while one's immediate taste-experience makes one think of shu -- there is something markedly different about this tea: something that sets it apart from every other shu i've had. it can certainly hold its own with any of them. [of course i say that as someone that definitely prefers sheng.] i do wish i had not let the third infusion go as long as i did. that may have been a pivotal moment for the tea.
Corax on Xia Guan Iron Pu'er Cake [Sheng, 2002], Xia Guan Factory
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark brown with flecks of khaki brown [including stems]
--- constituency: very solid, sturdy compressed flake of tea
--- aroma: virtually nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: very faint; slightest vegetal note
--- taste: delicate; less vegetal than the aroma
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, slightly darker than INF1
--- aroma: fainter still
--- taste: more assertive than INF1; bitter/woody; noticeable astringency, harsher than INF1
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, more like INF1
--- aroma: approx like INF2
--- taste: milder again, slightly less astringent, same bitter woody note as INF2
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: virtually none
--- taste: extremely mild; both the astringency and the bitterness are gone here. but i wonder if i ought to have made this infusion a bit longer [back up to 90 sec?]
FIFTH INF: none
COMMENTS: this tea demonstrates what the progression through various infusions can show. at INF1 i felt it was an extraordinarily delicate tea; by INF2 i had drastically revised that notion. i assume this has something to do with the highly-compressed nature of the dry leaf: even the sample was very sturdily compacted and did not crumble easily. this must inevitably affect how much flavor can be released in a 90-second INF1. by INF2, in contrast, the tissues had separated and moistened enough to begin to release what they have. [re compression: danny, posting to the rec.food.drink.tea newsgroup on sunday 050828, writes: '"Iron Cake" refers to the pressing machine which presses the cake into the discus shape. There are, I think, broadly 2 types of mold from this machine press: one which gives you a flushed edge and a surface fully spread with small bumps, and another which gives you a meshed surface and a tapered edge."]
--- color: dark brown with flecks of khaki brown [including stems]
--- constituency: very solid, sturdy compressed flake of tea
--- aroma: virtually nil
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
--- 4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber
--- aroma: very faint; slightest vegetal note
--- taste: delicate; less vegetal than the aroma
SECOND INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, slightly darker than INF1
--- aroma: fainter still
--- taste: more assertive than INF1; bitter/woody; noticeable astringency, harsher than INF1
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium amber, more like INF1
--- aroma: approx like INF2
--- taste: milder again, slightly less astringent, same bitter woody note as INF2
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: pale amber
--- aroma: virtually none
--- taste: extremely mild; both the astringency and the bitterness are gone here. but i wonder if i ought to have made this infusion a bit longer [back up to 90 sec?]
FIFTH INF: none
COMMENTS: this tea demonstrates what the progression through various infusions can show. at INF1 i felt it was an extraordinarily delicate tea; by INF2 i had drastically revised that notion. i assume this has something to do with the highly-compressed nature of the dry leaf: even the sample was very sturdily compacted and did not crumble easily. this must inevitably affect how much flavor can be released in a 90-second INF1. by INF2, in contrast, the tissues had separated and moistened enough to begin to release what they have. [re compression: danny, posting to the rec.food.drink.tea newsgroup on sunday 050828, writes: '"Iron Cake" refers to the pressing machine which presses the cake into the discus shape. There are, I think, broadly 2 types of mold from this machine press: one which gives you a flushed edge and a surface fully spread with small bumps, and another which gives you a meshed surface and a tapered edge."]
Corax on Hong Tai Chang Pu'er [Shu, 1980s?], Border Tea
having just posted a proposed template for recording one's experience of a tea, i am now going to promptly disregard some of that, in posting my experience of the hong tai chang puer [ditto with some of the ones that follow]. this because when i took these notes, the template had not yet quite come into the form in which i've posted it.
be all that as it may, here is probably more information than anyone wants or needs about my experience of this tea. but as always, i'm posting it here in order to [a] store the information, and [b] perhaps elicit a conversation. [re 'fishy' etc: see my comments on stephane's post of earlier today.]
==========
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark loamy red
--- constituency: smallish discrete pieces
--- aroma: very slightly smoky; virtually no earthy
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
---4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong
--- aroma: a fishy note not present in the dry leaf. no smoke, virtually no earth.
--- taste: surprisingly earthy in view of the aromas of dry leaf and liquor. a metallic tinge, but not fishy. a bit of smoke. no astringency. very little aftertaste but some continuation of the metallic. not a pleasant experience.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 45 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong [almost the same as INF1]
--- aroma: much weaker than INF1; no fishiness here
--- taste: not fishy. less metallic than INF1, including in its aftertaste. blander and marginally more pleasant than INF1.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: dark/medium hong [oddly, INF3 is slightly darker than INF2]
--- aroma: very faint overall
--- taste: attenuated in proportion to the aroma. the most distinctive aspect of this infusion is the aftertaste, in which the metallic [coppery?] comes forward.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong [once again comparable to INF2]
--- aroma: a bit fishy once again
--- taste: the earthy steps forward once again in this infusion. marginally less metallic than INF3, though the metallic aftertaste continues unabated.
FIFTH INF: none
COMMENTS: one of the interesting things about this experience of multiple infusions was how both the earthy and fishy flavors and aromas came and went. one might expect that the progression would be more linear.
be all that as it may, here is probably more information than anyone wants or needs about my experience of this tea. but as always, i'm posting it here in order to [a] store the information, and [b] perhaps elicit a conversation. [re 'fishy' etc: see my comments on stephane's post of earlier today.]
==========
DRY LEAF:
--- color: dark loamy red
--- constituency: smallish discrete pieces
--- aroma: very slightly smoky; virtually no earthy
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
---4 g to 6 oz
VESSEL: gaiwan
FIRST INF:
--- time: 90 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong
--- aroma: a fishy note not present in the dry leaf. no smoke, virtually no earth.
--- taste: surprisingly earthy in view of the aromas of dry leaf and liquor. a metallic tinge, but not fishy. a bit of smoke. no astringency. very little aftertaste but some continuation of the metallic. not a pleasant experience.
SECOND INF:
--- time: 45 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong [almost the same as INF1]
--- aroma: much weaker than INF1; no fishiness here
--- taste: not fishy. less metallic than INF1, including in its aftertaste. blander and marginally more pleasant than INF1.
THIRD INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: dark/medium hong [oddly, INF3 is slightly darker than INF2]
--- aroma: very faint overall
--- taste: attenuated in proportion to the aroma. the most distinctive aspect of this infusion is the aftertaste, in which the metallic [coppery?] comes forward.
FOURTH INF:
--- time: 60 sec
--- temp: 195-200F
--- color: medium hong [once again comparable to INF2]
--- aroma: a bit fishy once again
--- taste: the earthy steps forward once again in this infusion. marginally less metallic than INF3, though the metallic aftertaste continues unabated.
FIFTH INF: none
COMMENTS: one of the interesting things about this experience of multiple infusions was how both the earthy and fishy flavors and aromas came and went. one might expect that the progression would be more linear.
a possible template for tea tasting notes
just 'for the record' -- for my own ease of retrieval as much as for anything else -- i will post here the template i've devised for tea-tasting notes. i seem to revise it all the time, so there's nothing sacred or graven-in-stone about this, even for me. but it is intended to offer a way of keeping track of some of the tea-related data one might be interested in later.
==========
Tea Tasting Notes
Here is an all-purpose set of guidelines for making notes on the teas you drink. You should feel free to fill in as much or as little as you find useful. For example, there is space here for information about five separate infusions, which may be useful in the case of some China teas. For other tea types, this would be superfluous. And while the Chinese (for example) like to display and inspect the infused leaves, the English (for example) would find this an odd practice. So the individual drinker will decide which of these data are worth recording.
TEA:
--- type [red/black, green, blue/oolong, yellow, white, sheng pu'er, shu pu'er]:
--- place of origin:
--- estate/garden, if applicable:
--- factory/processing plant, if applicable:
--- leaf-grade, if applicable:
--- date processed:
--- date purchased:
--- date brewed for these notes:
DRY LEAF:
--- color:
--- constituency:
--- aroma:
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
---
BREWING VESSEL [pot, gaiwan, etc]:
---
FIRST INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
SECOND INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
THIRD INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
FOURTH INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
FIFTH INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
COMMENTS:
==========
Tea Tasting Notes
Here is an all-purpose set of guidelines for making notes on the teas you drink. You should feel free to fill in as much or as little as you find useful. For example, there is space here for information about five separate infusions, which may be useful in the case of some China teas. For other tea types, this would be superfluous. And while the Chinese (for example) like to display and inspect the infused leaves, the English (for example) would find this an odd practice. So the individual drinker will decide which of these data are worth recording.
TEA:
--- type [red/black, green, blue/oolong, yellow, white, sheng pu'er, shu pu'er]:
--- place of origin:
--- estate/garden, if applicable:
--- factory/processing plant, if applicable:
--- leaf-grade, if applicable:
--- date processed:
--- date purchased:
--- date brewed for these notes:
DRY LEAF:
--- color:
--- constituency:
--- aroma:
TEA-TO-WATER PROPORTIONS [grams to fl oz]:
---
BREWING VESSEL [pot, gaiwan, etc]:
---
FIRST INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
SECOND INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
THIRD INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
FOURTH INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
FIFTH INF:
--- time:
--- temp:
--- color:
--- aroma:
--- taste:
--- leaf appearance:
--- leaf aroma:
COMMENTS:
Stéphane's tasting notes
Here you have my latest notes. I will probably give more details for teas b to h, in the same manner as for Hong Tai.
Speaking of Hong Tai, Danny said I missed the salty taste that comes from storage next to the sea. Maybe, but maybe not. Like Corax, I did smell something 'fishy', "small dried fishes".
Speaking of Hong Tai, Danny said I missed the salty taste that comes from storage next to the sea. Maybe, but maybe not. Like Corax, I did smell something 'fishy', "small dried fishes".
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