2010 Nan Nuo Ya Kou

smooth thick and creamy, no catch in throat. subltle huigan. has a “classic YS” flavor. hint of smoke, hint of dry storage and bitterness, hint of higher register florals, and calming/soothing. liquor is extremely thick and smooth, gelatinous. mouthfeel is the biggest feature of this tea, and it overshadows any flaws The flavor is a bit tannic/higher register, acetic but by a hint of smoke/ash. This is a “I need a scotch” sort of tea IMO. Not something I’d drink regularly but as another reviewer said a medicinal tobacco like quality. It did get monotonous and after about 8 steeps I didn’t want to drink any more

Most of my experiences with Nannuo teas have been fairly ho hum. Either humid stored and lacking in huigan or discernible attitude or fresh and fruity but not interesting enough to get me to pounce on a cake. Some have had nice energy but not enough to lure me in. This stuff otoh, yum! 11 years of Kunming storage must be what makes this stuff shine. Early steeps give notes of berries, mint and old wood. Middle steeps are more floral and herbal. Later steeps give off notes of candied orange peel and basil. This tea kept getting sweeter throughout the session. Weirdly I first felt the qi in my arms before it radiated through my upper body. It was a very vibrant and somatic energy that inspired me to go out hiking on this 35 degree day. 2 faults I have with this tea: 1, the soup could be thicker and more concentrated for my tastes. Instead it is rather thin and has a drying throat feel. 2. It’s sold out. I went back to price and full cake and it’s gone. There is a 2012 cake from the village next door that I may sample.

Dry leaf smell is that of dried fruits, chewing tobacco, molasses. Very pleasant.

Hot steaming wet leaf smell has a strange aroma note of cabbage or maybe even kimchi. Cool wet leaf smells more typical sheng, but there is still a bit of that fermented cabbage, but it definitely fades into the background. I don’t get much if any floral notes. There is an underlying very faint scent of cloves that is nice.

I’m doing short steeps of 8-15 secs for the first few infusions. It’s sweet when it first hits the mouth, but for no more than a second before bitterness comes on strong, and a bit sour, too. Mouth drying — lips stick to the front teeth drying. Chalky astringency. Woody, tannin notes are strong. Long lasting thick mouthfeel and aftertaste.

Why… why… why did I have to add this tea to Steepster???

This is an absolutely wonderful in the middle tea that is making me smile. While it’s not 100% to my liking, I can pick apart the taste in this so well because it’s very clear on each sip. Each taste includes a well balanced amount of sweetness to astringency while keeping the integrity of vegetable notes WHILE having a slight floral overtone that is upfront and disappears as the astringency sets in with the sweetness rather quick.

This is one of those teas that make me question the concept of building something to store tea myself because I’d love to taste this throughout the years at 7 grams at every 3 month mark. Just… this is a lovely tea.