2010 Gu Ming Xiang Big Classic “Jing Mai Mountain Old Arbor” Ripe

Drank the 2011 version of this last night from YS tea club. It was quite full and yielded 8 hefty and flavorful brews with a moderate qi before needing long brews. Lots of woody/ bitter cacao flavors with a creamy sweetness. Good but not amazing mouth characteristics. Well balanced and powerful enough that I think it will improve over the next 10 years. I’d need to sample it a few more times before deciding whether or not I would purchase it. *after second sampling – I wouldn’t purchase this but its good.

4/12/16 100 ml gaiwan 8 grams – second time sampling. Classic Jing Mai not “Jing mai Mountain Old Arbor” – I’ll move the review soon.
very tippy blend, lots of small leaves. The aroma is heavy, pungently earthy with a woody top note.
wet leaves are woody with a slight medicinal note. The first brew is woody and med+ bodied with a nice creaminess and a smooth cacao bitterness. Earthy tones are present but nice and subtle.
The second brew has the slightest sour wood/plum flavor up front but pleasantly fades back into much the same as the first brew.
Third – No sour note, smooth at first and then builds on the palate getting more full bodied over time. Still has a bit of cacao bitterness to it which shifts to creaminess in the mouth. woodiness is shifting towards a hint of pine. still has some earthy tones but the whole thing is becoming more balanced and focused. Hint of minerality on the finish, with a light sweetness. faintest hint of leather/incense in the form of a drying spice like note.
4th&5th – lighter color. clearer woody notes, very creamy, losing its bitterness. Finish still has a lot of body and cooling.
6, 7,8th- Started long brewing, 8th brew was about 15 minutes and still had some substance but not enough to call for a nineth brew.
Overall a mostly clean, well priced shu with a med-full body, woody profile, and creaminess. Starts off with a decent bit of heft but dies down quicker than I had hoped.

A cool spring morning like today’s requires a good shu puer. This Jingmai definitely fits the bill for it is strong and bold. No real fermentation taste but it tends to become a little astringent when overleafed or brewed too long. The tea soup is dark and thick. This is not an overly sweet shu but it is smooth. It is not full of the “chocolate” notes we often look for in our ripe puer but the taste always appeals to me. The richness and depth of the material allows for many resteeps. I know from past experience that I can take this one for 10-12 rounds of brewing. These Gu Ming Xiang productions are worth owning and I owe thanks to Scott at Yunnan Sourcing for introducing me to them.

This tea is really good in the first steeping, a little too bitter in the second steeping and good after that. It is a tea I like. I did not want to try something new tonight as I knew I could not give it my full attention. It is too late and I don’t want the caffeine tonight. Tonight I steeped this only twice, in a 350ml teapot. First for 15 sec then for 10 sec. I used 12 g of leaf and boiling water. In the first steep I noticed some interesting notes, I would describe chocolate for one and there were others but I was too tired to pay attention. There is a definite bitterness in the second steep, I think I should have given it only 5 seconds. I know from drinking this tea that that bitterness soon disappears. But overall it is a strong tea not for the weak of heart.