Well, I lost this 2017 Zheng Si Long Gedeng sample about a month ago. Tiago, the owner of Tea
Encounter, kindly included this in a recent order. It goes for $164.32 for 400g cake or $0.41/g,
but is currently sold out. Tiago assured
me that his stock gets regularly replenished so watched for its return if this
review peaks your interest…
Dry leaves smell of mellow cherry fruits and of distant
mountain dew, a rocky and almost forest like odour.
The first infusion has a mineral, rock-like taste, almost
like literally eating a rock initially with a slippery almost sticky
mouthfeeling. There is a mild cooling
and slight sugar and distant fruit. The
fruit element slowly expands in the mouth and shows subtleties of a more
tropical fruit taste. The mouthfeeling
is reasonably long and still carries the mineral rock taste that is a touch
forest like.
The second infusion has a very nice and full mouthfeel that
is like a dense coating of slightly astringent paint over the tongue and mouth.
The throat takes note and opens to such suggestions. The mineral rock taste is there but along
with distinct florals in the background as well as subtle fruits. The feeling in the mouth and throat is really
nice off the go here. Subtle fruits and
floral stretch long into the breath.
The third infusion has much of the second its mouthfeel is
nice and strong, thick feeling liquor in the mouth the mineral, rock, mountain
top, taste is distinct and dominating throughout. The high notes linger in the back ground
distant wildflowers and almost tropical fruit suggestions.
The fourth infusion has a nice full mineral, rock taste with
edges of forest and opens up to a more distinct menthol taste with a hallow sugar
finish with slight wildflower and honey.
The returning sweetness is a nice exaggeration of this with touches of
tropical fruit.
The fifth and sixth were much the same the astringent up
front mineral and forest base taste is interesting and a signature of
Gedeng. The sweetness is all on the back
end in the form of almost buttery wildflowers and edges of clear tropical fruit
tastes.
The seventh infusion has fruit tastes mix with forest. The mineral, rock taste is less now and the
fruity taste with a bit of slight astringency is found throughout. The returning sweetness swells with a touch
of cooling in the throat where tropical fruits appear. This infusion is much
more sweet and fruity now.
The eighth and ninth is more mellow fruit with slight cooling
and edges of astringency. The fruity
taste becomes more dominant now. This
tea is becoming very fruity and approachable with a distinct cooling aftertaste
and long fruitiness. The fruitiness is
not that vibrant over powering thing, instead its a mellow almost foresty
thing. The qi of this tea is not ground
breaking but soft and gentle you can feel a fluffiness in the head but nothing
too much. A touch relaxing, a touch
alerting- nothing to strong, a mellow qi.
The tenth has a creaminess and sweetness to the fruity
flavours which now dominate. The
eleventh still has a thicker viscus feeling, slightly astringent.
11, 12, 13, 14 it starts to weaken so I push harder but
mainly enjoyable fruity tastes are pushed out.
Still a mild menthol, a mineral rock forest is mainly found in the
aftertaste now still worthwhile and tasty.
There is lots to enjoy about this puerh mainly in its taste
progression throughout the session. There
is interesting depth in this Gedeng due to its astringent mineral forest taste
that at times is almost or barely bitter which helps to balance the interesting
mild fruits and florals that wriggle themselves out especially later in the
session where they dominate. It offers a
mild qi sensation, mellow. Another thing
that might interest people is its very characteristic Gedeng profile. This might be worth a sample for those out
there that want to get familiar with this famous (but not that common) classic
six mountain puerh producing area. The
thing is, I have never really been a big fan of this area. Either way, this is a great example even if
just for education purposes.
Peace
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