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“Too much going on these days to focus on sessions, so I’ve been going through the daily drinker stuff, but today I was like okay let’s revisit this sample. It is still relaxing, dirty, and nutty....” Read full tasting note
“Got this sample during Black Friday. First steep was smokey and tobacco heavy. I did not like it. This is my second aged raw, and there’s a similarity to the other one (Top of the Clouds from...” Read full tasting note
“Fairly confused When the cake arrived I couldn’t help but smell it and I was greeted with a light plum-esque fruity sweetness, which I again smelled from the warmed leaves in a gaiwan. ...” Read full tasting note
“I think I liked this one a little more than the Repave I tried earlier; but I can’t tell if it is because this one is more aged! It started off with a faint camphor that then grew into a...” Read full tasting note
This Little Yellow Mark 2002 cake was produced as a private order (special commission) for a Taiwanese customer in 2002 and stored in Guangzhou dry storage soon after production. The soup is soft, sweet, and smooth. Flavors or honey and gentle flowers sit atop a woody base. An excellent example of quality dry storage. This tea is ready to drink now as a middle aged tea, or could be aged further into a beautiful old puer tea.
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CNNPToo much going on these days to focus on sessions, so I’ve been going through the daily drinker stuff, but today I was like okay let’s revisit this sample. It is still relaxing, dirty, and nutty. Lost track of time on 8 and oversteeped. Wet leaves smell like a mud room at the sauna .
Flavors: Dirt, Nutty
Got this sample during Black Friday.
First steep was smokey and tobacco heavy. I did not like it. This is my second aged raw, and there’s a similarity to the other one (Top of the Clouds from Crimson Lotus) but instead of the juicy stone fruit taste, I only got the smokey part.
The next steeps got sweeter and sweeter. Not taste of camphor like young raws. The sweetness changes as well. I wasn’t paying enough attention at first, but it progresses to a more sour sweetness. What’s amazing, though, is how many steeps I got out of this. It took more than double the amount of water that I usually use for raw. I don’t keep track of steep count, so I’m not sure what number I’m on, but I’m currently heating more water for my next steep (previous steep being 20 min)!
Damn, I’m still new to pu erh (especially aged), but I might actually cake this next black friday.
Flavors: Plum, Raisins, Smoke, Sweet
Fairly confused
When the cake arrived I couldn’t help but smell it and I was greeted with a light plum-esque fruity sweetness, which I again smelled from the warmed leaves in a gaiwan. Unfortunately I never got to taste it through all the infusions. The liquor brewed up a clear yellow orange which I did not expect given it’s age. By comparison the white whale and yangpinhao brewed up deep murky red. Clarity is a term I see tossed around not sure what the supposed implications are but this tea had a clarity in every brew from the start that I usually only see at the end of a session when a tea is dyeing out. The only flavors I tasted where generic menghai county no aged flavor or plum sweetness I smelt. Other unique features were the teeth cleaning/coating effect almost like I just ate a salad of raw bitter greens.
Not experience enough to know the implications of the clarity or teeth coating but at the moment I won’t be drinking this tea any time soon which is a shame because I was hoping it would be drinkable as well as an investment.
Good honest review. This is one of my favorites. Try a piece from a different side.
Nice notes! Yeah basically this is is in what I call the ‘ugly teens’ lol You are still developing and you don’t know which way things are going. The best part of this cake is that it hold a lot of promise for future aging.
I think you can get some fruit notes out of it but they are all going to be closer to very faded dried plum and more reminiscent of raisins with both sweetness and woods notes together with that bitter greens that you get at the end. :)
I broke up an oz off the cake and placed it into a jar as this method helped get the funk off white whale and yangpinhao, while I do have faith in this aging potential I will try breaking off a chunk from another place again before I resort to treating it like a leper fro a few years. When you say different side do you mean literally as in the “face” of the cake where the neifei is or do you mean the same side but different “hour” of the clock face( not sure if those options make a difference as I am unfamiliar with cakes blending procedure )
JC is right, this one is an ager and only needs 2-4 years depending upon your climate, but it is in the middle of another change. Hopefully you have enough to hang onto for awhile.
Also, I don’t know if you are airing your teas, but they need 2 weeks to 2 months in my opinion, after I get them. The teas are stored in a warehouse. Air out anything from W2T for at least a couple of weeks and then you’ll start to taste the tea, even better a couple months from now.Thanks cwyn it has taken a decent amount restraint to wait the week or two that I have but I will make the effort to extend that period. Also I believe I am at the point of making a long term storage solution given my amount of cakes and desire for more. At the moment I have a few tins, covered vases, and plastic Tupperware bins with Boveda cigar humidity packs (75% rh). The teas are fragrant but these packs are expensive and one time use so my current set up clear is not sustainable.
You all could just send anything you want aged to me, minus my storage commission..
funny enough I was actually considering that the other day, I think when I get around to ordering a new amerykah cake i will seriously consider that option
I think I liked this one a little more than the Repave I tried earlier; but I can’t tell if it is because this one is more aged!
It started off with a faint camphor that then grew into a butterscotch sweetness in later brewings, the 4th brewing still brewed a strong color but was a bit light on the taste.
Updated Ranking
Taste = 84
Price = 23
Quality = 78
New Rank 62 (old rank 84)
Repave can be bitter unless flash steeped with cooler temps after the initial boil. I liked the Yellow Mark better too.
I think I need to change my rating system because I can recognize when some are a good representation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like them. Which makes me struggle on which one I should rank my score!
I’m drinking the Hong Kong style storage, and afraid it is my least favorite. :/
Agreed, mine too. But I have friends who would much prefer the HK.
