2014 Yunnan Sourcing Jing Gu Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh

Nearing the home stretch of a taste tour through Yunnan…

Region 4/4: Puer/Simao. Location 2/3: Jing Gu

Well, looks like Yunnan Sourcing will be getting even MORE of my money…

This thing is delicious. It has a great balance of savory and sweet, and both of these aspects are bold and interesting. Tobacco/smoke/hay/foresty notes combine with fruit/cake/herbal sweetness. The balance between the flavors is incredible, and kept me and my palate happily busy for quite a while.

Flavors are long-lasting, deep, and complex. Also, despite its youth, this tea is easily drinkable right now. I mean, this old arbor (60-350 yo, per YS) is no 1600 yo gu shu, but it sure is hard to beat ;)

An affordable investment in a high-quality experience!
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Dry leaf – fresh herbal and fruit, mineral sweetness, some floral sweetness, dried fruit (peach). In preheated vessel – stewed fruit, prune sweetness

Smell – wood smoke, wood, forest floor, pound cake (noticeable chocolate cake aromas in empty cup)

Taste – sweet tobacco, very pleasant and light smokiness (like pipe smoke), hay/straw, thick savory sweetness like high-quality chocolate, poundcake (?!), dried peach, light lemon curd aftertaste; some white peppers notes in finish

Dry leaves are intact and fragrant and brewed leaves are olive green with an orchid-like fragrance. The tea liquid is a cloudy pale yellow and is thick in body. This tea is sweet, vegetal, flowery, medicinal, and packs a strong qi. It leaves a long gentle sweet finish and a pleasing sensation in the throat. Definitely for those looking for a sweeter tea.

I’m a little enamored with this cake, it’s just SUCH good summer-time drinkin’. Thick, sweet and pungent (if not a little straight-forward), it is suggestive of ripe peaches and meadow flowers. Very sweet, but picks up some bitterness towards the end.

a lovely tea :) nice and sweet with a grassy/honey taste with heavy spicy notes

thank you to Scott Wilson and Yunnan sourcing for this lovely tea