Really nice tea. Red wine with only slight hints of the woodiness you get from other ripes. The flavor lingers pleasantly after you sip. The bitter floral elements of the raw purple tea are faintly present but muted by the ripe purple tea. Surprisingly smooth overall.
As an experiment, I’ve mixed this tea half-and-half by weight with the 2022 Menghai Dayi V93 ripe tea I also purchased from YS. In my opinion, this combination makes a knockout ripe blend. The strong sandalwood and licorice-like notes of the V93 nicely compliment the winelike qualities of the purple teas.
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I don’t know if I have seen ripe/raw before.
Yes, Yunnan Sourcing has a few ripe/raw offerings, and this is the first I have tried.
I guess the general idea is to combine the liveliness of a raw tea with the depth of a ripe into one cake. Further, I suppose it might enhance the aging prospects for a predominantly ripe blend.
Bitterleaf had a split cake at one point too (called Thick & Thin). I think I have a sample of it kicking around somewhere that I should try. IIRC people had pretty split opinions on that one.
I also find some nice cinnamon notes in this ripe/raw cake.
I don’t know if I have seen ripe/raw before.
Yes, Yunnan Sourcing has a few ripe/raw offerings, and this is the first I have tried.
I guess the general idea is to combine the liveliness of a raw tea with the depth of a ripe into one cake. Further, I suppose it might enhance the aging prospects for a predominantly ripe blend.
Bitterleaf had a split cake at one point too (called Thick & Thin). I think I have a sample of it kicking around somewhere that I should try. IIRC people had pretty split opinions on that one.
I also find some nice cinnamon notes in this ripe/raw cake.