Can't remember ever trying a cake from Meng Fei Mountain, certainly ones experience with the Lincang region is limited, remember the Lincang mouthfeel more than the taste though. Today is as good as any to expand ones knowledge of this mountain and region alike. This cake is still available from Yunnan Sourcing. Interestingly, Yunnan Sourcing is for the first time carrying a 2012 Spring cake from this very mountain. Let's boil the water and get to it...
The dry mix of many white hairy leaves emit strong sour notes with deep pungent forest and light fruitiness.
The first infusion delivers a drity, gritty, bland-forest tastes. There is a noticeable coolness in the throat along with a sour aftertaste and a faint sweetness that fades away quickly. The mouthfeel is quite full especially noticed on the roof of the mouth. The chaqi is apparent from the first cup with its strongish nature.
The second infusion presents a dirty, gritty, bland forest inital taste. Now it has hints of simple florals pinned undernieth as well as sweet, long complicated fruits. The fruity and sour notes last longest on the breathe. The distinctly cool-sour aftertaste develops a certain smoothness. The mouthfeel reaches the mid-throat opening it but is also felt on the roof of the mouth and in the teeth. Qi is strong as ones mind kicks up into a keen alertness.
The third infusion offers a thinner, sour-citrus-gritty-forest taste now. It develops into a bland-floral citrus sweetness. The sour taste lingers in the mouth with slight mellow edges minutes later. With all that is going on, there is a bland note that prevents anything from being too vibrant and muddles it into the interesting profile. A result common in autumn puerhs. The mouthfeel remains full.
The fourth and fifth infusions offer a sour, meaty, forest initial taste with a slight citrus-sour-floral finish. Now it has lost some of its exotic, wild-foresty taste.
The sixth infusion offers a short lived foresty-soft-meaty-bland taste that turns into a distinct citrus-grapefruit finish with flowery edges. In the breath minutes later are bread-like starchy tastes. The qi is quite alerting.
The seventh infusion offers muddled, dry forest initial tastes with sour notes waiting undernieth. There are chalky-bitter grapefruit notes that finish the profile until minutes later reveal sweet citrus that lingers on the breath. The mouthfeel has become less in the throat and have developed a slight coarse edge that is felt even minutes later. This tea is quite interesting as there seems to be more flavour change with each infusion although not all are always as desirable.
The eighth infusion gives us a creamy, sweet initial taste with a lingering bland forest which is pushed into the distance with a long citrus finish. The qi is still strong here but very relaxing on the mind. The ninth infusion is also much the same with a slight pungent quality mixed with the creamy-sweet initial taste and more pronounced sour taste that pairs with the citrus finish. A chalky mouthfeel develops in the mouth.
The tenth and eleventh infusions are more sour-foresty initial taste with the lighter notes disappearing. The aftertaste has a bitter, slight grapefruit edge. The chalky mouthfeel continues. The twelfth infusion is bitter, sour melon notes in a bland-forest aftertaste.
