240 Tasting Notes

75

10g, split over two days, both done grandpa style in a 500mL tea thermos. A moderate shu, really heavy on a soapy, floral character that I’m not that into. It’s not particularly thick or sweet, but smooth and dry, like cocoa husks or french roast coffee. I guess for the cost, this is reasonable, but it’s not particularly remarkable. The second of the sessions, I steeped twice, and boiled for a third, but couldn’t squeeze that much out of. It’s fine, but there are better modern shus out there at this price point.

Flavors: Cocoa, Floral, Soap, Toast

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 500 OZ / 14786 ML

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88

Second time with this tea. The first time I had it, I didn’t really “get” this tea. But a second try has revealed its redeeming qualities. Loving the aroma on the lid of the gaiwan for starters, old tobacco and old rooms, filled with grandparents and comfort. The flavor and body are still perplexing to me, they’re so much lighter than my other liu bao experience, centered on a distinct and enjoyable candied pumpkin, but not much spice or fermentation, or seemingly depth or thickness. Likewise for the finish, nothing exceptional. But the feeling is fantastic, a giddy, calm joy, quite calming and settling, almost to the point of sleepiness, but not. Sometimes heavy qi teas make me feel very disoriented and disconnected, but this one feels light, clear, yet relaxed and happy.

Flavors: Candy, Pumpkin, Tobacco, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 4 g 60 OZ / 1774 ML

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84

Received a pile of Harney & Sons samples for the holidays, so may post reviews of some of the more notable ones.

Really beautiful leaves on this tea. A smooth, graceful red, with some floral qualities. I don’t get to the cocoa, but there’s a sandalwood undercurrent and some spiciness. Smooth and sweet overall.

Flavors: Citrus, Honey, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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88

Brick sample. Low aroma, but heavily-compressed, early steeps are incredibly sweet. As the compression lets go, the floral bitterness, pleasant, intensifies. Brewing carefully, it stays in check and is balanced in a show of strength that’s quite enjoyable. Late steeps pick up some of the youthful fruitiness of sheng. Good tea, with great endurance, a revealing story, and both strength and grace.

Flavors: Floral, Fruity, Sugar

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 4 g 2 OZ / 65 ML

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76

Uncomfortable storage and lovely dried tobacco aroma, mostly in wet leaf. Has distinct minty wet-ish storage flavor. It has one of the lovelier dry pipe tobacco notes I’ve had in puer, but it doesn’t come with much else. It’s dry and astringent throughout, lacking body or interesting mouthfeel characteristics. Not getting a lot of body feels out of it. Dominated a little too heavily by the storage, as though there wasn’t something to hold up against it, and somehow the storage didn’t cut the astringency down.

Flavors: Clay, Tobacco

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 4 g 2 OZ / 65 ML

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76

My first run with this tea was quite disappointing and had heavy notes of hongcha-level oxidation. Retrying today, with a little less leaf and getting a little more nuance out of it. Holding onto some smoky memories in the rinse and first steep, but not pointed. Low astringency, moderate bitterness, moderate sweetness. It has a sweet, soft woodsiness to it that’s comforting, but I struggle to find breadth to this tea, it has a shallow quality to it. Some definition mushroom flavors in the finish and not a ton of huigan. I want to enjoy this tea, but can’t quite get there.

Flavors: Mushrooms, Spices, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 130 OZ / 3844 ML

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98

An update to this tea after almost 10 years. Mushroom and leather aroma. Thick soup, with a touch of sourness up front, middle steeps give distinct plum, and generate saliva nicely. Late steeps have fantastic, long-lasting huigan. Best part is the strong, calming happy qi. My drier storage has left this tea with some astringency and punch that I think make it feel full bodied and rich. This cake has also struggled with sourness in the first 3-4 steeps, I think due to colder, drier storage (something I’m trying to gently remedy), but it doesn’t really compromise the tea. So lovely…

Flavors: Leather, Mushrooms, Plum, Sugar

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 2 OZ / 65 ML

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84
drank 2009 Hong Da Dou by Douji
240 tasting notes

Nearly 10 years after the release of this five mini-brick series, I finally try them all. This on has a warm honey and spice aroma. Breaking off a chunk, I’m surprised by the size of some of the leaves on the outside of the brick. The first couple of steeps have some intense broken leaf bitterness, which seems unavoidable with this level of compression. Middle steeps open up much more sweetness and a quite respectable huigan. More spicy leather and tobacco through and above average endurance in terms of sweetness and body in later steeps. Decent for the series and I’m excited to see how this ages.

Flavors: Honey, Leather, Spices, Tobacco

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 2 OZ / 65 ML

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78
drank 2009 Nan Da Dou by Douji
240 tasting notes

Floral, plantation nose. Lightly sweet, moderately astringent early steeps. Punchy broken leaf bitterness and cloud in the middle. Some tameness and a bit of orange from age and a bit of caramel flavor. There’s a hint of a decent qi and a distant bit of huigan, making this above average for the series. Clean, mostly boring plantation tea I hope ages into something passable.

Flavors: Caramel, Flowers

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 2 OZ / 65 ML

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74

I’m trying again to love this tea, after reading some comments on Instagram about its more endearing qualities. I think the reality is that Taiwanese style puer isn’t my style. I pushed the tea harder this time and produced more plum and astringency, but it still seems a bit hollow. There’s underripe stonefruit pit astringency and spring Witch Hazel twigs, but some decided sourness as well. Chalking this up to a style of semi-aged puer which isn’t me.

Flavors: Astringent, Plum

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 2 OZ / 64 ML
Liquid Proust

I think you should retry the XZH 8582 now and see if you can figure out if this taste is truly not for you. While many people like this one, it won’t be for all. I prefer the Ming Jing but mainly because I like delicate flavors.

TeaGull

That’s a good point, I’ve always loved that XZH 8582, I’ll revisit soon. I think part of me not liking Taiwanese style (and this tea in particular) is that I don’t get that excited about Yiwu, it always seems so soft and subtle.

TeaGull

Finally got back to the XZH 8582. I’ve had it a few times since I purchased it, but not since trying the CYH, it’s an interesting contrast. Part of it is the drier storage I have on the 8582, it still has more punch, sweetness, and astringency. I can now see these teas being similar in a way, with plummy softness and saliva production, I just feel like the 8582 beats the CYH on all fronts, especially in the qi, the 8582 is just wonderfully strong, warm, calming and happy.

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