2004 Hai Lang Hao "Nan Nuo Bai Hao" Raw Pu-erh tea cake

Yay, I’m the first to write a note on this one! :)

After discovering a Dragonwell at the back of the cupboard and drinking that, I suddenly had a craving for raw pu so I thought I would start one of the sample packs I have been buying recently. For some reason, I bought a sample pack of this one, even though I have a whole untouched beeng in the stash. I guess that was an oversight at the time, but it does not feel so now.

The dry leaf is grassy and sweet, and the initial steepings were the same. About the third steeping, the tea developed a spicy sparkle on top of the grassiness that lasted ages in the aftertaste, even developing further on the tip my tongue. There’s a slight smokiness to my breath that develops further on into the aftertaste and I can feel the tea waking me up gently. The mouthfeel is creamy and full, double cream, perhaps. It’s very pleasant drinking this and I think I have a ways to go yet. The leaf feels like it has legs to it after half a dozen steepings and I should get a fair few more out of it. Nice.

Brothy, numbing, refreshing, powerful

Incense utilized as medicine by the ancients, that luscious floral bitterness present in the most beckoning blood-red rose, the earthy spice and smoke of myrrh resin on a freshly lit charcoal, a numbing kava bitter-root emulsion, the musk of oily fingers dusted with cumin, dried apricots and fresh cream in the distance, tobacco base, stonefruit overtone

A cool swallow, the mouth waters, sweetness returns as a sticky date wrapped in cinnamic shiso leaf

Lavender flowers and blueberry skin on the breath

Quite grounding yet the body floats, the spirit uplifted

A hauntingly beautiful tea

This may sounds strange but in a certain way it describes quite on point what’s going on within this unique aged fellow – at least some curios aspects of it ;) – Already the scent steaming up of my Nixing pot really hits some different tones as it normally used to do. When I say Grandma it isn’t exactly the scent of old people but more like their

perfume they use – a bit of rose or better placed as Greek rose frankincense plus a hint of the medicinal variation of marshmallows aka althaea officinalis! But generally said there is a certain frankincense tree resin touch to it with a very nice more known thick slightly bitter Agarwood main construct as a base note. Some might find a resemblance within the image of an old European church. The mouth feel is very thick and long lasting with an outstanding sweet echo of blueberry muffin. Those empty cups exhale a nice bouquet of beeswax! Within the later infusions the scent turns more and more into a medicinal sphere with a slightly creamy buttery nuance to it. This fellow really aged in a perfect well balanced way with such a unique profile – a real pleasure! This aged buddy takes you on a quite abundant journey with many infusions to go!

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Going back to this tea and can’t believe I have it almost 5 years lying around. There is an incredible amount of energy in this tea, which immediately drove me to write this.
After 3 steeps there is hardly any bitterness but rather a watering sensation which tikles around the mouth. Looking at the leaves, I’m quite surprised how small they are.
The smell of the wet leaves still hides the aroma of a fresh pu-er.
Why does steepers time start at 15 sec? I only brew this for 2 seconds or so.