Yet another one of the Zhi Ming Du offerings, and again I'm using my 60 ml Gaiwan and 5.7 grams of leaf. It is a rather snowy day here, and I'd like to say this tasting is being brought to you by the snow outside. As I have been so busy running around I rarely have occasion to knock myself down and write up one of these reviews.
I must say the aroma present in the rinse quite interests me. and I decided to use a small blue and white porcelain cup gifted to me in a swap of tea with a friend.
As the rinse smelled rather potent I decided to do a 5 second infusion for the first steep. The aroma definitely is potent bamboo and citrus rinds, and possibly the slightest hint of pineapple. Upon first taste I realize a bit longer wouldn't hurt, but if you like your young puerh tasty but mild about 5 seconds would be the right length. Its got that characteristic grassy astringency with a nice round burnt buttery taste full of all sorts of tropical fruits.
This is certainly a welcome tea, and this is coming form someone that has had quite enough tea today (but I'll keep on drinking ;-) ).
Today seems to be an entire economics lesson for me... in the sense that I'm being reminded how supply and demand are rarely ever wrong on most commodities. This 100g cake comes in at 10 dollars before shipping, and with a slightly stronger brewed 2nd infusion, I'm realizing its certainly better than standard Dayi fair coming in at around 10 dollars for 357g.
The big flaw I have with this is while it has strength it seems to have a strong bitter component that is not the good type of bitter I look for in puerh, this is rather drying and is just not meshing with what I want right now.
That being said so far through three infusions I rather like this tea, it certain isn't one dimensional, and has a bit of character. But most of it is in the aroma, and the taste I could take or leave, but I find that it really sticks in the mouth, a bit too well in fact. I'm taking longer breaks between infusions, and I even got a cup of water to drink from between infusions. That being said if you like the after taste, you will be in heaven cause it lasts.
This tea has a persistent quality to it that I must give it credit, though young puerh can be like this, but this tea has held constant flavor and taste for the past 6 infusions, with only minor increases in time, and honestly show no signs of relenting.
A gift of tea is a gift of profound and thoughtless mind.
With it one can see as though on top of worldly mountains,
but in truth we ascend into the zen mirror in us.
--Adam Yusko
No comments:
Post a Comment