My Pots and Tea blog is still pretty new, like a fresh cake. But still, I realized one thing - even thought I drink mostly puer tea I have not posted any puer post yet. Maybe I am a little bit afraid of this. It is like a love you do not fully understand. With many cakes (touchas, bricks etc.) I like, it is hard for me to describe what is so special about them for me. But on other hand- I like challenges! So here is the first story....
Ripe Menghai 7572 03
I like this kind of wrapping -it looks old and traditional even when it is not |
I got this cake more then year ago from my friend-customer, owner of teashop. It was part of our tea-teaware exchange. When I am thinking about it now I think it was given to me extra, as kind of added value of this exchange. Yes, I am happy man! I remember that when I tasted it for a first time I was not fully impressed. The smell of dry leaves as well as fragrances going out from the teapot were great but I couldn't find it in the taste. I also miss body of the tea which I like to have when drinking a shu. So I putted it to my storage box...And year after, when I was digging there, looking for some Shu to enjoy I decided to try it again.
When I have a tea where the smell and look of it promised more then I find in my cup it usually (not always) means that there is something wrong on my side. I mean water, pots I used, timing, and amount of leaves and so on. After several sessions with this Menghai product I find in my cup what I was looking for. Thick syrup which fill up your mouth. There are no those muddy-musty smells and tastes of too wet storage ShuPu. Tastes of sweet walnuts and un-sweet cocoa -it goes from my mouth to my nose and back. I realized that it is better to use bigger amount of leaves -then I can play during infusions and enjoy stronger liquor with footprint of bitterness or lighter one with more nutty and slightly flowery character.
When I find out that this cake is the Shu as I like it, I asked my friend if this tea is for a sale. But unfortunately the answer was no- he has only few of those cakes and he likes it to much to sell them. So I started to "google" and so far |I find it only at Yunnan Sourcing. But for 148usd? It is too much for me right now -especially for Shu. I find also 2003 7572 for 75usd (for example here ) but in different wrapping...what does it means? I will try to find it out. In the meantime I am going to enjoy this treasure and looking for Shu with similar qualities.
Enjoy your day
A wonderful post, Petr! I really enjoyed reading about your history with this tea (how you acquired it, your first tasting of it, storing it, tasting it again, and 'playing' with it). A rich history, and an appreciation for your humility in writing it :) Great pictures, too!
ReplyDeleteDear Bev, I think you are too generous. But of course I am glad that you like it. Have you already try the 1998 Gan Xiang cake from Chawangshop ?
ReplyDeleteOne year later (in 2012) yunnancolorful.com sold their 2003 7572 for US$ 189 and yunnansourcing.com are now selling only 10g samples for US$ 7 (= US$ 250 per cake).
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