I tried the first sample that LP had sent me. I must say that he loaded me up! For that, I’m utterly grateful!
I had this tea session this morning before heading outside on this lovely afternoon. So, I sat at table with my wife, as she had coffee, and took an hour to go at it. The sample that I had was a 11 Mao Cha; which was quite lovely.
The aroma after the first rinse was intriguing. I wrote, “Vegetal, honey, smoke (????).”
First steep: The flavor was vegetal, slightly smoky (slightly in the aftertaste), and grassy (?). The mouthfeel is a bit drying, and works itself into the throat.
Second steep: Aroma has a nice floral, “fresh leaf,” slightly smoky, and honey smell.
Flavor: Rich and soft; floral and sweet. A slight astringent aftertaste, which is left in the mouthfeel. The overall tea doesn’t have much astringency, but it’s minor in the mouthfeel. I like the dryness. Mostly sweet, though.
Third and Fourth steep: Aroma has a stronger honey, cooked leaf (?), grassy, and Spring quality to it.
Final note on the tea: Mao Cha is the tea to have when Winter ends and Spring begins. It is fresh, slightly astringent in a very positive way, and leaves a unique dry mouthfeel. Mao Cha is the type of tea that could grow into a “very pleasant Shu…Like individuals, with age, we grow (supposedly) wiser. Tea just does that with flavor.”
As you can tell, I was tired and tea drunk, so my notes came off a bit eccentric. I enjoyed the session, and my wife told me that she enjoyed hearing my thoughts on the tea. Thank you, Liquid Proust for this sample! I now understand pu-erh in a way that haven’t before; which is satisfying to know that there’s always more to learn with tea.
I got about 13 steeps out of this, but gave up on the note taking after steep # 4.
Flavors: Honey, Smoke, Vegetal
