Ripe/Cooked Puerh of the Night

[netsurfr]

They say that if you let your shu air out the day before you are going to drink it, the pond smell can be reduced or eliminated. However, for me, I just can't seem to plan that far ahead.

[arghblech]

I had some of jingteashop.com's Liu Bao yesterday brewed western style. I was really good. I'm a huge fan of this particular Liu Bao.

[shah8]

My experience with airing out shu is that wo-dui goes away when it goes away. You air out shu to make it taste richer, and not cleaner.

Yesterday I treated myself to Secret Fragrance, which was wonderful, and very camphorey in late brews. Much closer to boutique shu like the Nadacha or XZH than the sheng of that name. I did that because the day before, I finished off the 2008 GNWL. Just not a very interesting or particularly good shu, for the price. A few days ago, I had an utterly spectacular session with the 2007 7262, for a Dayi shu. Again, 2007 stuff is pretty much ripe by now...

[ChrisD]

Tonight I am brewing some 2008 King of Bulang
http://shopmandalatea.com/ripe-pu-er...lang-2008.html

I think this one is pretty good. My cake is about half gone, and every session has been enjoyable so far. It brews up nice and dark like coffee, and has some lingering sweetness after a sip. Sometimes, it can have a little of the fermented tastes, but if infusion times are kept short it is pretty good. In my opinion, this is a pretty good choice for a Shu, but my experieince is limited thus far.

[ChrisD]

Today's Shu was 4 Leaves Ripe loose Puerh from MandalaTea
http://shopmandalatea.com/ripe-pu-er...eaf-pu-er.html

Not really sure what to say about this one. The sample I brewed up tasted like a standard Shu on the first infusion, nothing really to write home about. But on the second infusion it had lost most of it's flavor and was mostly just dark water. No real sweetness, but no fermentation taste either.

[ChrisD]

Tonights Shu is some 2008 V93

As far as Shu's go, I may not even look any further than this one.

It's got what I'm looking for in a Shu.

Aroma reminds me of warm marshmellows and graham crackers, kind of like a s'more without the chocolate.

Nice and dark color, looks like coffee.

Tastes pretty smooth, and really remids me of toasted graham crackers.

[ChrisD]

V93 for me tonight

The Hot Chocolate of Puerh

[nff]

ill warn you now this is not a good review. whatever this is it meets a fitting end.



ok 2 rinses at boiling

1st infusion flash [efectivly 5s or so] tastes like someone tried to burn a rotten log and then take a bite out of it. foul


2nd flash: no change still vile


3rd flash horrid


4th good reddens


5th fetid swill begone



5 minutes after consumeing about 70ml of this i had to evacuate myself NEVER BUY THIS!consider yourself warned.

[ChrisD]

Wow, make sure to wash you gaiwan and cups really good lol

[mosomoso]

I often like to brew small quantities of certain teas for hours in a thermos. Not sheng or DJ, obviously. But tonight I did it with some '05 Menghai Lao Cha Tou, and, really, I wouldn't want to brew those hard old compost-nuggets any other way. Sweet and creamy! Cheers all.

Rob

[P_K]

2010 Menghai 7562 002 -

Brews nice and clear. On the simple side, but still tasty enough.

[grasshopper]

Shu of the Day in the Office at Work
2007 Meng Hai Adorned in Red Beeng Cha
Shockingly good. Wow. Malt wine. Brown sugar Burgundy. Found it in my file cabinet at work, chunked into a cardboard tea canister. 7g to 120ml gaiwan, flash infused on old man boil. Absolutely delicious. I shoulda bought dozens of these cakes--and I shoulda bought a big pile of Dragon Poles at the same time, too. Wut wuz I thinking??? The retrospectrometer is the most accurate instrument, bar none. Still, still--My inventory shows one more whole cake of the AiR, and grasshopper has more blessings than he can count. :-) Best to all, ~grasshopper, drinking Seiun Matcha

[shah8]

There are two adorned in reds. A 400g bing and a 500g bing (with a companion sheng). Think you can tell which one it is?

[grasshopper]

There are two adorned in reds. A 400g bing and a 500g bing (with a companion sheng). Think you can tell which one it is?

I checked my records. The full cake I have on hand is 400g, purchased in 2009 from Dragon Tea. Likely I bought two, intending to drink one and save the other. Knowing how I operate, I would not have bought one of each, a 400g and a 500g. I have no sheng AiR (but would not mind tasting it!). So the chunked shu beeng I found in the filing cabinet at work is the 400g. By the way--it could not have been in drier conditions than in my office at work.

Ultra-dry conditions did the cake no harm at all. That might prove to be an important little shu datum.

I bought shu casually and sheng formally. My sheng records are excellent; my shu records are replete with lacunae. Time for a careful inventory of the old shoe box. :-)

Best,
~grasshopper

[Proinsias]

Any chance of a pic of your pu collection sometime grasshopper?

[shah8]

A few days ago, I had a very good session with a '07 Dayi 7262. Quite a bit of flavor and aroma for a shu, even if there isn't qi.

Today, I experimented blending 5g of Secret Fragrance with 2g of '01 7542. Started out kind of bitter and chaotic, and really, the 7542 is just plain at an awkward stage right now, and given that SF is not completely hollow in flavor, it clashes some. Lots of qi, which is maintained throughout the session. There is a very strong mouth and throatfeel. It eventually eases into a very nice session with many brews. Keeping the kyusu filled for long brews tomorrow, as the last one was ridiculously thick, with a nice wood aftertaste. In the future, I think I will try the Tai Lian as the 2g sheng, because it's rather floral flavor won't get in the way as much and perhaps will complement the SF shu more.

[P_K]

09 Menghai 7572 901 -

This has mellowed considerably. Brews lighter with medicinal/iodine and wood flavors. Quite good....but I only have about 50g left.

[mosomoso]

Big Classic today.

I've been disappointed by just about all gong ting and golden bud shus as they age. Personal thing, but I've actually disposed of most of them: bitter and saccharin with a weak mouth-feel. Dayi's GNWL has disappointed me greatly with time, sorry to say, though I can certainly understand why it has a following. (I stress: a personal thing!)

The Dayi Big Classic gives me that original flavour of the GNWL, sweet and buttery, but holds up well. Very distinct cake, I like it. Hope it doesn't fall over in a couple of years, but so far so good.

[shah8]

I got a sample of '07 Dayi 8592 from BBB after the tea get-together was over. Today I brewed it. The taste isn't that good, sorta wet cardboard-y, and somewhat close to the '07 Tonxinghao brick I've had before. The texture is decent, but a bit harsh in the throat, sometimes. Very sweet, and has plenty of chaqi for a shu. I'm thinking now, in my general inexperience, that Secret Fragrance does behave much like this tea, but with much better taste, smell, and smoothness. They are both very durable, but SF has that rock-ish aftertaste, if not as sweet as the 8592. The 8592's qi is bodywarming, and slightly stronger than SF. There are not all that many shu with noteworthy qi, and even though this tea is merely unobjectionable in taste, the qi makes me think this is excellent for winters, and folks back up North should get young 8592 cheap to drink up later.

During the meetup, we had some '70s Liu Bao. Tastes much like Liu Bao always does, but much rounder and less wierd. Very peaty. Sweet, with a very relaxing qi. Quite...pleasant.

[SliceOfLife]

It's probably just your hat.

Not so much! My wife makes me wait outside the tea shop in her hometown, otherwise she gets "foreigner prices"!

I like watching the locals staring at me openly from their passing bicycles, craning their heads back over their shoulders to continue the stare. Tall + red hair + pale skin is out-of-place.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes