#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!