2009 Banchang Tree Puerh

So it turns out this is the Puerh that I’ve been merrily sipping away at for most of this year!

It’s really very delicious. Full of stone fruit, honeyed flavours that interplay with that lovely, sweet, sheng bitterness/edge. It’s a real delight to drink, producing cup after cup of lovely amber tea, and has gotten me nicely through this rather busy spring!

From the Sheng and Shou TTB.

Brewed with a gaiwan, gongfu method. No rinse. Steeping times: 10, 10, 20, 20, 30, 30, 35, 60, 120.

Dry leaf aroma smells of white sugar. The wet leaf aroma also smells sweetly, and has notes of hay and (somewhere in there, lingering at the end, mostly after the first infusion) mint.

The color of the liquor is pretty in a white porcelain cup – green-ish orange, then more orange-y as the session goes on. This sheng is smooth. It begins with a thickness that eventually thins out. Starts off as clear, then a lot fuzzies from leaf float around in the Pyrex cup, starting with the fourth infusion. There are consistent flavors that pop out all at once: dry hay, green peppers, fruit (especially apricot, noted by Stacy from Butiki), and musk. Sluggish qi. Made me feel tired-tipsy.

I had a lovely gongfu session with this tea this afternoon. I did not take detailed notes but man this one is great! So apricotty and tangy and delicious. Shengadelic!

Working this one up tonight. Measured 7 grams out to brew. Dry leaf has a musky aroma to it and leaves look nice and whole. Not broken and torn as in many blends. Wet leaf has a touch of citrus on the aroma similar to a Meyer lemon.
First steep 5, 5 and 5 combined to a larger cup. Tea brew is very clean and clear. No cloudiness at all in after going through the strainer.
A little touch of smoke so light in the background that passes to a slight wood and slight bitter that turns into a nice kind of bitter that turns into a semi-ripe apricot type of finish.
it gives a bit of the tip of the tongue “buzz” for 10 to 15 seconds after you sip it.
A warm fruity and musky aroma comes off the cup if you bury your nose in it as I do. I like to savor these things very slow and the experience that comes with it.
Solid sheng and easy to drink without lots of bitterness that come with some of these teas. A bit of Kuwei or slight bitterness comes and goes to a nice sweet finish on this one.
Solid and Solid tea.
I would love to try this 5 years from now to see the development on it. …Someone remind me at that time.
Gong Fu method.

I had this early today to wake myself up. I’ve got work to do as well as some “fun” organising some tea swaps. We also have a bunch of work to do to get a list going of all the things we need to do if we’re really going to move to another apartment within the complex we’re living in right now.

This was a sample from Stacy, and i have to be honest, i’m not yet sure how i feel about it. I was initially getting a bit of a bitter note that i didn’t like, but then with a longer steep there was much more pleasant smokiness and a bit of spiciness to it. Overall, i think i may need to order this one later to really play with it :)

I’m taking a short break since today is a long day and I will be working very late tonight in order to compensate for taking a shorter day tomorrow. I decided to gongfu brew some of the Banchang in a 50ml gaiwan. This time around I used a lot of leaf. I think, I prefer less leaf for this one. With less leaves, the apricot notes are very strong but here they are much lighter though still present. The spice notes are stronger now and more upfront. I’m getting a lot of clove, pepper, and cinnamon and some anise but also a nice creaminess and fuller body. Actually, I’m starting to love this despite missing the stronger apricot notes. Very delicious. The rhubarb is now making its way through a little bit. This is definitely my favorite Sheng! Shhh, don’t tell the Wild Purple Buds.

For the rest of work, I’m doing a Joy Division marathon. Unknown Pleasures followed by Closer, and finally Still. As the days are getting warmer, I’m just in more of an old school goth, industrial, and jazz mood. Just came out of a hip hop/rap mood which lasted through the harshest days of winter. Anyone else noticing their preferences shifting as it gets warmer? Here is Joy Division’s A Means to an End because it is awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oMFMRv5c3o. If I make it through all 3 albums then Sun Ra or Peter Brotzmann will be playing, which I can only listen to at work or with headphones.

Also, have to share this. I just funded this Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/159974695/calamityware-dinner-plate-3. This artist takes the classic Blue Willow pattern and adds ‘calamities’. Super awesome. Can’t wait to serve my guests food on this plate and see if they notice.