2008 Lao Mountain Fair Trade Organic Phongsali 'Lao Mao Cha' ('Puerh Green Tea')

Picked this one up last year during ones journey in the Northern Laos Province of Phongsali. The producer, Lao Mountain, sells two types of tea- a 'Golden Green Tea' and 'Puerh Green Tea'.
One posted about the 'Golden Green Tea' from this company a while back and found it quite interesting. This one promises to be just as entertaining.

The dry leaf smell of faint fruity tones mingle with light,spicy raisin depth. These leaves are rinsed before the first infusion is prepared.

A sour, juicy, vegital tea with backnotes of something spicy is the first result. The mouthfeel fills the sides of the tongue and roof of the mouth.

In the next infusion those spicy tones dance within a slightly juicy, pungent, faintly fruity taste. The flavour evolves into a predominantly dry pungent taste that makes its way to ones breath.

The tea in the third infusion targets the front of the mouth leaving a fuzzy sensation behind. The flavour is much the same as before but slightly more pungent. The aftertaste remains dry. The orangy-yellow of the liquor watches that of the chrysanthemum that blooms behind it.

A sweet caramel tobacco creaminess starts to develop ever so slightly under the pungent notes that get deeper and deeper as the session progresses. The movement from infusion to infusion is quite notable and makes this tea fun to drink.

In later infusions, sour grainy tones start to appear first followed by the core pungent flavours. The almost malty caramel tones that are noticed suggest age.

The interplay between caramel and pungent notes continues from infusion to infusion until, later in the session, it waters out.

The chaqi is covert in nature. It sneaks around almost unnoticed until later in the session where it makes ones mind shine bright and clear.

Peace