My apologies for the severe lack of posts recently. The last several months have been a big period of upheaval (plus I haven’t had a discretionary budget for new tea to review), so blogging falls to the back of my mind, even if tea itself doesn’t.
As some may know though, I’m fortunately back working closer to tea again, this time at the Trident cafe in downtown Boulder, CO. As a result, our tea buyer and general manager Peter has been kind enough to let me sample some of the Trident’s inventory, the following puer tea was given to me as such.
I must admit that I am not familiar with teas from this region, Ming Feng mountain. However, this tea was apparently on the receiving end of a few years of wet storage, and so is likely somewhat disjointed from its original character anyway. Session notes are as follows:
“The tea’s leaves are quite attractive- big and dark with lots of fat stems. The rinse aroma in right on. It smells dark and musty with earthy sweetness already on display. The soup itself s a healthy orange, maybe already with some red tints. These are the kinds of qualities I can get excited about…
I find the first sip to be full bodied, smooth and surprisingly relaxed; there is only the faintest trace of the smokey flavor I usually associate with middle aged teas. There is good activity on the palette as well, with a minty and drying quality. The second infusion yields some very nice leathery hints, along with oak and rosewood. Notably, this already seems more on the “aged tea” of things.
The third infusion grows richer and deeper yet, its sweet and savory qualities are interlaced and topped with that above mentioned note of old leather. There is a bit of sourness, and he drying quality remains unfortunately persistent, but these are only minor issues for a tea with this kind of lovely earthy and woodsy flavor profile (and at only seven years… I suppose that’s wet storage for you).
The fourth infusion is a touch lighter, wth some fruitier qualities shining through the smooth and earthy base. As the tea session progresses, these nuances become more apparent as the more forward earthy flavors are dialed down a touch. The wet storage seems to have made this deceptively complex tea very, very drinkable.”
That’s it for today, but expect some more posts incoming in a more timely manor. Thanks again to Peter for this great tea session.
Gassho
-Ginko-san
Cuckoo's Song Tea Blog 