I had my eyes on some Gao Shan Zhai from another vendor over
the last year but still haven’t purchased any.
The Gao Shan Zhai region in Yiwu is known for some pretty delicious
puerh being higher altitude relative to other regions in Yiwu and all. This production ($114.49 for 250g cake or $0.46/g) is a collaboration between Zheng Si Long and Chen Xi Hao of which the
wrapper bears its name. It was kindly sent in a complimentary care package by Tiago (thanks again)...
Dry leaves smell of perfume florals, subtle fruit, and woody
rainforest floor.
First infusion is a woody almost flat syrup taste there are
almost floral notes in there as well but strong predominating dry wood
tastes. The mouthfeel is slight sandy
and astringent, slightly bitter.
The second infusion has a flat dry wood, slight malty taste with
slight brown sugar taste. The mouthfeel
is fairly stimulating slightly dry and astringent. There is a very mild cooling then a long
brown sugar and dry wood aftertaste which lingers on the breath.
The third has a more cohesive dry wood, slight malt, and
brown sugar taste which plays out in the aftertaste. The taste profile is pretty simple and
obviously single origin material. The
mouthfeel is slight dry and slight astringent pretty simple as well but
enjoyable enough.
The fourth has a distinct deep malty sweet, almost syrupy
medical herbal taste. The menthol
returning is more pronounced and there is dry wood underneath everything. The thickness of the liquor here increases
its viscus feeling and it makes for a denser taste. The Qi is mild and relaxing.
The fifth has more of this malty, herbal medicine taste with
wood underneath. The liquor remains
medium thick now and the aftertaste is long carrying some of the initial tastes
of wood, malt, and herbal medicine but in a mild wave of menthol and in a brown
sugar sweetness. The taste is long on
the breath and now has a nuance of complexity and charm.
The sixth infusion becomes denser and more complex still
with a dense layering of herbal medicine, woods, malty butterscotch but now
there is a pronounced tropical fruit sweetness that lingers throughout it
almost has a bubble gum sweet edge to it.
The Qi starts to mildly alert.
The mouthfeel is slightly oily but mainly mildly astringent- the dryness
is gone. This infusion the sweetness
becomes quite apparent.
The seventh infusion is dense and malty sweetness, mild wood
now and herbal medicine tastes. It has a
nice medium to thicker feeling and long menthol sweetness with slight tropical
fruit and almost bubble gum sweetness.
The eighth is becoming heavy on the menthol/eucalyptus from
start to finish. There is more woody
taste in the initial and sweeter taste in the aftertaste with a strong
medicinal herbal quality throughout.
The ninth is very menthol, malty sweetness with topical
sweetness under heavy camphor much the same as last infusion. This infusion seems to be more licorice
tasting.
The tenth is strongly menthol/eucalyptus in taste so much
that it drowns out other aspects of the profile.
The eleventh is almost creamy menthol onset woodier in the
aftertaste. The mouthfeel is
significantly astringent, almost but not really dry, slight pucker. The Qi of this tea is mildly relaxing with a
bit of head sensation of lightness of the brain.
The twelfth infusion is strong menthol/ eucalyptus through
and through. The tea is becoming more
astringent to in these later infusions.
The 13th is much the same this infusion is a bit
more sweet wood and menthol. The profile
changes very little from initial to aftertaste.
The 14th shows signs of sweet woods, herbal
medicines, and an underlying tropical sweet taste under medical notes. The taste is quite bold even now but is not
as sweet as it is astringent and pungent menthol. The pungent menthol is really something.
The 15th has an almost peachy sweet onset now,
woody, slight licorice, almost herb, long cool sweet aftertaste. Still lots going on here, much to enjoy. 16th is a touch bitter and
astringent but similar tastes, more wood almost a sour grapefruit taste. Faint tropical fruits.
The seventeenth is sweet peach, woody, almost herbal
medicine like before shifting to a slight cooling and long sweet
aftertaste. This puerh has some great stamina
with the taste complex and full late into the session.
The eighteenth and nineteenth give off sweet tastes, medicinal
tastes, woody tastes, long sweetnesses.
I really stuffed the teapot with these leaves but this tea
could go on for quite some time, I suspect.
I overnight steep it and a greeted the next morning with a very viscus
and dense butterscotch/ caramel sweetness.
It’s so full that I decide to put it though another few day-long steepings.
This tea has what I consider “harmonious Qi” it doesn’t
overtly feel relaxing or simulating and to someone with little experience
almost feels like no qi but in the end this qi makes you feel good. If you are tired, you will feel more alert
and if your simulated it kind of makes you feel relaxed. I think this puerh has this type of energy
to it. It can easily be overlooked by
those who are less sensitive.
Tastewise, this tea is a winner. It has much to enjoy as far as tastes
go. It’s a bit unique in how pungent it
is. This feature will do it well 10
years down the road.
I believe that the storage is clean moderately humid Xishuangbanna
Storage. I remember a time that
Xishuangbanna storage was a dirty word in puerh circles. It was synonymous with poor storage or
forgotten tea. It’s my understanding
that Mr. Zheng of Zheng Si Long has been instrumental in elevating the profile
of Xishuangbanna storage of which this cake seems to be a good example of.
*I ended up trying to replicate this type of greatness a few
days later and was unsuccessful at pulling together a great session like my
first experience above. The second time
didn’t have as much pungency, depth, or stamina, Qi seemed weaker too. Might
have to pick up a cake to investigate further when I finally do an order of
Zheng Si Long from Tea Encounter.
Peace
I'm very happy with this tea. I'm glad you had an initial positive experience. I can only imagine it getting better with age. It's one of my favourites that we have on offer right now.
ReplyDeleteCurigane (Tiago),
ReplyDeleteI am equally happy with this tea! The second session was still very good, just not as good as the first for some reason. As far as thickness of tea liquor and overall taste it rates as one of the best that I’ve sampled of Zheng Si Long at Tea Encounter. It is also sufficiently humidly aged and at 6 years it is starting to warm and feel aged enough to drink- Another reason I liked it.
This morning I pulled the Beijing stored 2008 Fangmingyuan Nannou cake out of my deeper storage and out into my everyday drinking storage and had a session this morning. I still really enjoy the heavy qi in this one.
Much peace
I just took the Nannuo out too. Thanks for reminding me. ;) I have been more hooked to the Bama lately. I really like its peach creaminess aftertaste.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear about your speed test. I'm assuming most teas are not easily available anymore and were aged by you in the same style as the great Hoobes.
Many thanks
Tiago
Tiago,
ReplyDeleteHahaha... yes it’s on the speed test right now. Will report back.
The aging of my original is quite dry with minimal intervention but comes off way more sweet tasting than this storage.
Peace