2021 Tea Encounter Chawangshu Gushu: Statisfying Chawangshu!

“Why not press a Gushu Chawangshu?” I ask… then he did!!!  

“If not for anyone then at least for us!” I exclaimed… and so destiny has arrived…

A sample of this 2021 Tea Encounter Chawangshu Gushu was supplied free for review but normally goes for $350.19 for 200g or $1.75/g… nobody said Chawangshu was ever cheap…

Dry leaves smell of pungent gamey barnyard forest odours.

First infusion has a buttery/ milky creamy floral onset that melts into a creamy melon chalky sweetness slowly over the tongue and into the throat and breath.  A long sauntering velvety sweetness is released.  The mouthfeeling is a mild mossy and the texture is quite oily and lubricating.  There is a long melon floral almost potato and fresh spring grassy rainfall taste to it that it quite delicate but nuanced.

The second infusion has a buttercup milky/creamy fresh foresty sweetness that is very oily and floral and melts in to the soft mossy mouthfeeling leaving a slow dispersing floral, melon, fresh rainfall taste dissolve over the mouth.  The throat faintly opens but yet the sweet subtle aftertaste seems to hang around lots.  The taste is very subtle, creamy, fresh, but yet very present.  Lots of saliva is dumped over the tongue.  A soft current of relaxing waves start to take me.  The very oily texture and mossy mouthfeeling with strong saliva producing is very nicely paired with sweet and fresh oily tastes.

The third infusion has a pungent gamey onset with a stronger immediate subtle gripping mossy mouthfeeling.  The initial taste is barnyard and gamey with wood mid body and juicer floral melons underneath.  The aftertaste is very long and is faint in the mid throat but pushes saliva onto the tongue.  There are some subtle face numbness and deeper mind floating Qi here.  I can especially feel it heavy on my forehead.  There is a potato melon taste that intertwines with saliva for even 15 minutes later.

The fourth infusion has a pungent forest onset with faint quick moving edges of gamey taste.  There is a building sweetness that moves from this taste.  It’s a melon, slight floral oily taste that melts over the mouth.  It has a certain lightness to it and a bit of depth.  Some woodiness.  The mouthfeel is soft mossy and the throat presence is mild but an aftertaste lingers there.  Nice face sensations with some Heart slowing and mind relax happening.

The fifth infusion has a spicy pungent forest onset which moves quickly to a thick gummy oily fruity taste.  There are vibrant and strong pops of Starbust candy tastes thick sweet and long that melt over the almost gripping mossy tongue coating.  The oily texture, mossy gripping coating, and faint loopen mid-throat and saliva producing impart a strong effect on the melon, almost floral, almost potato sweetness.  There are bodyfeelings of chest slowing and face sensations and heavy forehead.  The body effect is strong.  All of a sudden I feel a wave of clarity and giddiness.

The sixth infusion has a thick oily melon onset with a floral underbelly onset.  The thick oily melon floral sweetness melts over the tongue, spills down the faint open throat and returns as a gob of saliva over the gripping mossy mouthcoating.  There is a long woody, almost dry, and cooling breath that pushes the oily melon sweet taste long on the breath.  The sweet melon taste is very long but is supported by a woody undertaste.  The Qi is really strong and pushes me into a talkative-giddy but also euphoric state of mind.  The body feeling is as if I am rocking back and forth with strong slow Chest beats.

The seventh infusion has a spicy pungent foresty onset with some woody and lesser floral sweetness emerging now.  The mouthfeel is less gripping and the throat less opening now.  An oily melon-floral sweetness emerges.  The cooled down cup of tea is more sweet almost a melon/caramel hue to the taste now.  This infusions has a more prominent woody base to it.  The woodiness extends at least as long as sweet, probably longer.

The eighth infusion has a lime woody cream sweet melon initial taste with a long cooling throat and a melon floral retuning with a flat woody base.  Long retuning taste of melon.  The mouthfeeling is a mild gripping mossy faint drying coating.  Heart strong beating and lively euphoric energy typical of Guafengzhai.

The ninth infusion has a woody, sour fruity juicy melon like onset.  There is a cooling then returning sweetness.  Nicely lively euphoric Qi over a mossy slight drying mouthfeeling.  Long woody sweetness and Heart beats.

The 10^th infusion has a pear and woody onset over a dry mossy mouthcoating.  There is an increasing sour lime note in here that is the primary fruity note now with much less sweetness.  Nice euphoric Qi sensation.  With long sour, sweet melon, and woody dry taste.

11^th has a woody sour fruity onset with a strong woody dry taste underneath.  The dry mossy gripping mouthfeeling. There is a long coolness with a melon and woody finish in the mouth.  The mouthfeeling is full and strong but not much saliva is produced nor is the throat sensation prominently open now.  The Qi is still quite strong with Heart beats and euphoria.  My mind travels…

12^th infusion has a woody dry onset with some lesser sour fruity taste underneath then a bit later a cool throatiness comes and a sour, woody and some sweet returns.  The mouthfeeling is getting more drying.  There is some saliva producing here… big Qi continues to push one into a euphoria Heart beats strongly.

13^th has a lime fruity not that sweet onset with a flat woody dominating base taste now.  There is the throat cooling and retuning not that sweetness but more of a sour fruity and woodier taste.  The Qi continues to push me hard into a warmed and floating euphoria state. 

14^th is a steady woody sour fruity taste over a gripping mouthfeeling the sweetness is pretty much gone now with some long cooling throat and a hint of fruity sweetness still. 

15^th is pretty much dry woody insipid water at these flash infusions…

I put the spent leaves in a mug and mug steep them out.  It tastes of bitter and floral melon.  Still big Qi in here!

The overnight steeping is quite enjoyable… thick oily texture with watermelon whites with a long subtle taste with edges of floral.  A full thick feeling in the mouth sticking to the teeth.

Overall, this is a nice Chawangshu experience.  The session has some key elements of Chawangshu for sure especially its euphoric Qi with strong Heart beats which is what Chawangshu is all about.  The long sweet taste is notable with this one as is the very structured oily texture, mouthfeeling, open throat, and retuning saliva.  The first handful of infusions really show how that sweet taste can melt over the mouth.  I really liked this experience here with this one and had a great time with this on this unseasonably warm late summer day.  It’s pricey experience for sure, but a good one.  It has enough Chawangshu-ness in it to keep me happy without being an overly singular pure simple Gushu like experience.

Days later my mind is still thinking about those first 5 infusions.... Yummy..

Alex’s (Teanotes) tasting notes

Peace