茶笔 Chá Bǐ – The Tea Pen

Category: Dark Tea

  • Hóng Chí Chá Shì, Jīng Pǐn Pǔ Ěr Chá Gòng, 竑祺茶室, 精品普洱, 茶貢, Hung Chi Tea Room, Boutique Pu’er Tribute Tea

    1982; var. assamica, and/or Qimao( taliensis); prepared in Menghai, Yunnan, packaged in Hong Kong, stored in Kunming, Yunnan; bud & 3-4 leaves, Menghai Wò Duī(握堆) Shou Pu’er process; elev. unknown; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá.

    Infusion: 5g in 150ml, #ColdBrewed for 12hr@4deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: dusty, dank, murky, dried portabello/shitaki mushroom;
    Wet Leaf Aroma:murky, dank, musty, wet forest floor;
    Liquor: deep, dark red colour, with a dusty, swamp water aroma;
    Mouthfeel: moderately thick, mildly stimulating, slightly astringent, vague sweet finish;
    Taste: floury, earthy, mineralish, with an intense, funky, retronasal dominance;

    Opinion: This tea was packaged as a premium tea in Hong Kong then stored in the can in humid conditions for who knows how long.

    The internal bag was perforated with tiny holes and the bottom of the can heavily rusted. This indicates that the storage was quite poor. YET some people seem to like it’s funky flavour.

    I keep coming back to this tea to see if I can brew it right. Air it, give it time to breath. Maybe the problem lies with me? Yet each time I drink it, to me? It just tastes like swamp water, and not in a good way.

    • Cold Brewing

  • Hóng Chí Chá Shì，Jīng Pǐn Pǔ Ěr Chá Gòng, 竑祺茶室，精品普洱, 茶貢, Hung Chi Tea Room, Boutique Pu’er Tribute Tea

    1982; var. assamica, and/or Qimao( taliensis); prepared in Menghai, Yunnan, packaged in Hong Kong, stored in Kunming, Yunnan; bud & 3-4 leaves, Menghai Wò Duī(握堆) Shou Pu’er process; 1800m; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiānDeChá.

    Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 30sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: dusty, dank, old;
    Wet leaf aroma: old wet carpet, must, dank, hints of peppery spice;
    Liquor: deep red colour with dank, dry, musty aroma;
    Mouthfeel/Taste: peppery, viscous, oily, with a mildly camphor or mint-like fresh finish;
    Flavour: dusty, fresh, a vague touch of sweetness with a retronasal suggestion of swamp water.

    Opinion: After a first disappointing tasting of this tea, I shifted it to a xisha clay storage canister and drank this tea with a friend, who thought it was very good. This highlights one of the core issues with well aged pu’er teas, their dark murky character is not considered suitable as, tea for beginners. It definitely needs to be shared with an experienced Pu’er tea drinker.

  • Yǎ Ān Cáng Chá 【Hēi Chá】雅安藏茶【黑茶】Ya’an Tibetan Black Tea

    Autumn, 2017; var. laochuan; Ya’an, Mendingshan, Sichuan; bud and 4-5 leaves; protected, “UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage,” fermented Hei Cha tea process, moderate pressure tea brick formation; 800m; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá.

    Infusion: 5g in 200ml, percolated for 3-4 cycles;
    Dry Leaf Aroma: aromatic, earthy, woody, syrupy, dried plums and dates;
    Wet Leaf Aroma: mildly musty, damp, like a forest floor;
    Liquor: deep ruby red with almost no perceptable aroma, very faintly “damp;”
    Mouthfeel: viscous, mildly tannic and peppery, with a almost buttery-sweet finish;
    Taste: delicate, neutral, “tea” like, wet wood and tobacco, with a lingering minerality;

    Opinion: #TibetanTea is a post-fermented tea, or #HeiCha style tea. It originates from Ya’an, in Sichuan province. This style of tea was pressed into bricks and traded along the “Horse and Tea Road” throughout the Tibetan Region. The history of tea in this area goes back over 1300 years, giving rise to the claim that Ya’an is the origin source for “black” tea.

  • Shú Pū Wǔ Jī, 熟普五级, 5th Grade Shu Pu’er Tea

    Autumn, 2020; var. Camelia sinensis (blended sub-varietals); (Lucy Wang YNteas Agri Tech Co., Ltd.) Menglian, Yunnan; bud and 1-2 leaves, EU Organic, Pu’er Wo Dui process; 1400-1800m; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá.

    Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 40-60sec.@100deg. C;

    Dry Leaf Aroma: musty, damp, compost;
    Wet Leaf Aroma: damp, wet, muddy;
    Liquor: deep amber color with faint red-pink tongue & slight wet forest floor aroma;
    Mouthfeel: viscous with a watery finish, minerally, dusty, tingling, biting, slight sweet and fresh finish;
    Taste: earthy, slight retronasal hints of camphor, mildly sweet;

    Opinion: This is the third of a set of pu’er teas that differ only by tea grade. This particular tea has a closer profile to the 1st Grade tea and is a little more funky compared to the 3rd grade tea.

    These three teas have really challenged my views about tea and my rationale for drinking particular styles of tea. Clearly, I am still a Tea Newbie and need to spend much more time sampling Pu’er teas to get to know and appreciate their challenging aromas and flavors. Don’t get me wrong though, I have enjoyed drinking them.

  • Shú Pū Sān Jī, 熟普三级, 3rd Grade Shu Pu’er Tea

    Shú Pū Sān Jī, 熟普三级, 3rd Grade Shu Pu’er Tea; Autumn, 2020; var. Camelia sinensis (blended sub-varietals); (Lucy Wang YNteas Agri Tech Co., Ltd.) Menglian, Yunnan; bud and 1-2 leaves, EU Organic, Pu’er Wo Dui process; 1400-1800m; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá.

    Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 40-60sec.@100deg. C;

    Dry Leaf Aroma: earthy, touch of malt,
    Wet Leaf Aroma: damp earth, forest leaf litter;
    Liquor: browny amber colour with a dusty, dried tangerine peel aroma;
    Mouthfeel: viscous, mouth coating, minerally, grainy, tingling, biting, slight fresh finish;
    Taste: earthy, with a short vaguely malty hit, followed by a lingering fresh aftertaste with murky retronasal aromas;

    Opinion: The primary difference between this tea and its First Grade (Grade 1) counterpart is in overall aroma and flavor.

    This is possibly due to the bag of tea sitting out on my table for the last 2-3 days or so allowing for some of the funk to gas off. Whilst it hasn’t won anything in the “Favorites” stakes, it is definitely not umpleasant to drink, far from it.

    I’m curious now to cup all three at the same time to see if there is any discernible difference purely due to Grade.

  • Guā Fēng Zhài (Pǔ’ěr Chá Shēng Chá), 刮风寨(普洱茶生茶), Guafeng Village Sheng #Puer Tea

    Summer, 2020; var. qimao(big leaf); Guafeng Village, Yieu, Xishuanbanna, Yunnan; sun dried mao cha, raw pu’er process, pressed cake; elev. unknown; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, Jīn Tiān De Chá.

    Infusion: 5g in 110ml for 20-30sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: lemon, tangerine, pomelo;
    Wet leaf aroma: prunes, hint of something metallic like a machine shop;
    Liquor: pale yellow, with vague white peach aroma;
    Mouthfeel/Taste: thick, syrupy, creamy, smooth, mildly tingling, some sweetness and mild astringency in the aftertaste, and watery finish;
    Flavour: tangerine, ginger, honey, floral peppery notes with retronasal orchid hints.

  • Hóng Chí Chá Shì，Jīng Pǐn Pǔ Ěr Chá Gòng, 竑祺茶室，精品普洱, 茶貢, Hung Chi Tea Room, Boutique #Puer Tribute Tea

    1982; var. assamica, and/or Qimao( taliensis); prepared in Menghai, Yunnan, packaged in Hong Kong, stored in Kunming, Yunnan; bud & 3-4 leaves, Menghai Wò Duī(握堆) Shou Pu’er process; elev. unknown; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiānDeChá.

    Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 30sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: dusty, dank, old;
    Wet leaf aroma: old wet carpet, must, dank, hints of peppery spice;
    Liquor: deep red colour with dank, dry, musty aroma;
    Mouthfeel/Taste: peppery, viscous, oily, with a mildly camphor or mint-like fresh finish;
    Flavour: dusty, fresh, a vague touch of sweetness with a retronasal suggestion of swamp water;

    Opinion: Drinkable. This was supposed to be a special Tea. Unfortunately the can was quite corroded and the sealed bag inside had two small perforations. It was stored with other cans in a cardboard box in Kunming.

    With corrosion of the canister and failure of the bag, only an expert Tea Taster and connoisseur of pu’er teas, can determine if this Tea is good, or spoilt. However, it may be possible to improve its condition by storing in a zisha clay canister from several months.

    Such a shame really, in two years time it would be an extremely rare, 40 year old Tea. Ah well, we shall see what we shall see.

  • Chún Xiāng, 醇香, Mellow and Fragrant: Menghai Lao Shu Qizi Bing Cha, Bulang Wild Tea

    #TodaysTea, #今天的茶 – April, 2005; var. Dayezhong; Mengzha Village, #Menghai, Yunnan; wild trees, buds and leaves, fermented pu’er process, aged pressed cake; various elevations;

    Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 20sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: hints of ginger, and tangerine;
    Wet leaf aroma: dank, damp wet forest, with a suggestion of licorice;
    Liquor: amber brown, with faint, orchid-like aroma;
    Mouthfeel/Taste: thin to moderately thick viscosity, prickly on the tip of the tongue, mild bitter bite in the back of the throat, late onset of mild sweetness, followed by a drying astringency;
    Flavour: spicy, peppery hints of ginger, tanin, and retronasal hints of orchid, and dried, aged citrus peel;

    Opinion: Originally I thought this Tea was untouched, only to discover it has already been nibbled at. That’s ok, I don’t feel bad about breaking it open to sample this 15 year old tea.

    That said, it’s hard to say how I feel about it, after drinking it. Such a strange state of being to be in. Feeling somewhat #ambivalent. (Addendum: I’ve been told that with old teas sometimes it is best to break the cake up and store them in a porous clay jar to allow the leaves to, “breath” again as this will enhance the quality of the tea. I will have to try this again and see how it develops. Just something more to come back to.)

    This is the last of the formal Chinese teas on my shelf. What’s left are some herbal teas, flower teas, & some Indian teas. What a ride!

  • Shi Shang Xi Gui Sheng Tai Cha (Sheng Cha), 石上昔归生态茶(生茶), Shishang Xigui Ecological Tea (Raw Puerh Tea)

    #TodaysTea, #今天的茶 – Spring, 2007; var. dayezhong; #Xigui Village, Mengla, Lincang, Yunnan; raw #Puer, aged, pressed tea cake; elev. unknown.

    I did not know what to expect with this tea, it truly was outstanding and surprising.

    Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 15 sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: woodsy, black cardamom, aged tangerine peel;
    Wet leaf aroma: smokey, wood fire, bbq, my grandma’s wood fired stove;
    Liquor: amber brown in colour with hints of smoke, black cardamom and tangerine aromas;
    Mouthfeel/Taste: moderately creamy, mildly biting, tingling, lingering sweetness in the aftertaste;
    Flavour: smokey, sweet, milky, with retronasal hints of dried tangerine peel in the finish;

    Opinion: This Tea, its wild in its contrasting flavours, yet very pleasing. It’s got me thinking of smoked meats like, cod, beef brisket, or turkey, with fire baked ratatouille or duchess potatoes, and bread on a stick…

    Outrageously good!

  • Yún Nán Qī Zǐ Bǐng Chá, 云南七子饼茶, Yunnan Qizi Tea Cake

    Today’s Tea, 今天的茶 – Spring 2011; var. dàyèzhǒng; Lancang County, Pu’er, Yunnan; leaves only, raw pu’er process, pressed cake; elev. unknown.

    Infusion: 5g 200ml for 30-90sec.@95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: dry, spicy, aromatic, dusky;
    Wet leaf aroma: damp forest floor, prunes, dates, raisins, earthy;
    Liquor: pale peach colour, with buttery, nutty aroma, with a hint of dried tangerine peel;
    Mouthfeel/Taste:creamy, thick, astringent, mildly sweet, late mild bitterness;
    Flavour: woodsy, woodear fungus, hints of aged tangerine peel in the finish;

    Opinion: A soft, subtle, and enjoyable Tea with a pleasantly teasing bitter fruit finish, that lingers on the tip of the tongue.