Nannou, He Kai, and Mengsong

I'm doing a bit of a Tasting of all my young puerh, if for no other reason try and make sense of it. I have most the Zhi Ming du line a long with a few other things thrown in here and there. So the first two parts are going to focus on Single area's. While one post will be dedicated to the 3 Dayi Menghai cakes I have.

I am not going to post detailed notes, or probably posts many pictures if any.

The Essence of Tea (Nadacha) 2009 Nannou Old Plantation

What actually started this out is Hobbes over at the Half dipper posted a review today the 28th on a Nannou cake he had acquired. SoI felt quite the urge to try this cake again, as viewing it you can tell I have spent not nearly enough time with it for its quality. After two sessions averaging 7 infusions each, my stomach is starting to protest slightly.

This is going to be my first post published ahead. As I realized I tend to waver on and off between a lot of free time for tea and writing, and hardly any, I am going to try and mediate that by staggering my posts. I hope to aim for a post every couple of days.



The alluded to Namby Pamby nature of Nannou is apparent in this cake especially in the aroma. But it is oh so intoxicating.


Zhi Ming Du He Kai

The idea for the Groupings of these tea's came from Bears Bears Bears over at Bears blog, who definitely knows much more about puerh than I do, and has an idea of how teas should be grouped/ what they really are.

I am actually quite amazed at how close this is to the Nannou, same light and spring/summery smell, though a hint more grass. The flavor is a bit harsher and seemingly less complex, but still enjoyable.

Probably my favorite thing about Puerh is even the 'subtle' ones are far from subtle. Puerh is the tea that will demand your attention even if you are not paying close attention to it.

Zhi Ming Du Mengsong

This tea is my last today, and while I feel I have a better stomach for young sheng than some, I definitely am not one of those people that can drink it all day.

This tea is much more floral tasting, rather round and soft taste, but Bears really knows what he is doing when he told me to group these three cakes together.



General thoughts....

Each taste was unique, but I definitely do not know nearly enough to pick them out blind. Tim always talks about a Granny face powder for Nannou cakes, and I have been trained to look for that in puerh, as I think I understand what he is referring to.

That being said the Nannou seemed to be a perfect balance of other flavors and the powder. The He Kai while harsher was also riddled with the powder flavor almost exceedingly much. And the Mengsong had basically no sign of it.

Making tea as a University Student

Some of you may know that I am finishing up my Undergraduate degree, and about to start Graduate studies at a different university. As I have been making and enjoying tea my entire undergraduate career I feel I have certain tips to share.

Freshman year is probably inevitably the hardest, especially if you did not choose your room mate. Depending on your schools rules a wide variety of heating methods may be forbidden, including electric kettles, hot plates, and other relatively safe items. So you have a few options either hope your dorm has a kitchen and use it frequently, possibly boil large amounts of water and keep it warm in thermos for a session, or resort to brewing a lot of teas western style.

I was lucky to have good roommates all throughout school, and I never had to put up with any sabotaging of any of my belongings. But there are horrid stories out there of people trying to boil milk in an electric kettle for Hot Chocolate (Hint do not do it, it is very bad).

Though quite often in the early years of school I was making tea in paper cups with microwaved water, and loose leaf tea in self fill tea bags.

If you have a chance to move into an apartment or off campus house type setting it is much easier and by this time you probably know your roommates, and they probably already accept your tea "habit" whether they think its odd or slightly endearing they will hopefully put up with it.

Basically tea in school is a complete and utter give and take, and finding what works for you.

The Mandarins Tea Room High Fire TGY

First off this tea's dry aroma is incredibly appealing, caramel apples, which came out more and more and more as I followed Toki's instructions of opening the bag and letting it sit exposed to the air for 10 days before consuming.

I am making this tea Chao Zhou style, so I crushed a third of my 60 ml pots worth on the bottom and then filled it mostly full with fuller leaves.

The aroma is great, while the Clarity is Impeccable. The aroma has hints of the Caramel apple along with I dare say a hint of fruitiness like its usually found in red wine. The taste is rather amazing perfectly balanced between astringency and sweetness, with an amazingly sweet aftertaste.

Each sip definitely leaves you wanting more, and strangely the sweetness is incredibly cooling.
It was a rather successful Chou Zhou style session as all 4 infusions were nearly identically, though incredibly delicious.

Its Here Kagoshima Sae Midori Shincha

This Shincha is from O-Cha. It was the first one released by them this year, and I had made a preorder prior of ones I knew I wanted to have, but upon hearing this was to be the first released, I quickly pre-ordered some, and it came out and got to my door rather quickly.



I am actually amazed at how vibrant the dry leaf smells. I know its been awhile since I have had Sencha, but I do not think I ever remembered the leaves having this much of an aroma.


From the first sniff I know its the aroma I have been missing since I finished the last of my sencha. All I can say is it is beautiful, and I can see how this is the most welcome thing after a long winter. Its very essence goes to my core and warms from the inside, it is decidedly fresh, but yet somehow soup like. The soup effect is incredibly comforting, while the freshness invigorating. It surely is wonderful.