1996 Chung-Cha Menghai "Orange in Orange"'

This tea I picked up from Hou De fine asian art. It stems from my wish to taste more aged puer, so I ordered this and two other samples. I should note that this might be the first puerh I have had from Menghai tea factory, as I my first order was mostly from no name factories, and since I've mainly been ordering aged puerh, and have not yet ordered any classic menghai samples.



The dried aroma of this tea is pungent and earthy, with something I want to call tobacco in nature. Yet it also has a distinct sweetness to it.

And the aroma of the rinse is piquing my interest.

If that is not camphore I don't think I know what is. But surely its a wonderful aroma and I am positive now that I did not go to light on the tea.

The tea is cooling, and though its obviously had some wet storage it doesn't overly taste like it, there is a slight burnt/ashy flavor in the finish which is welcome like accidently getting a mouthful of smoke around a campfire. But wow is this finish lasting quite a long time. I must say this is a new experience.



As the infusion number climbs, I'm recognizing how this tea still has a decent amount of youth to it, and the wet storage taste is becomming more apparent. Though the finish seems to be fading away.

Though this tea has definitely made my day... it turned an average day, into a great day. I love how that is the power of tea.



Impeccable mood
On an ordinary day,
A tea is thanked.
-Adam Yusko