2018 Yunnan Sourcing Jingmai (2017 material)

This was the only one I decided to cake sample out of the lot of samples I ordered from Yunnan Sourcing a month or so ago.  This Lucy wrapper always makes my children smile, I think it’s a beautiful thing and the reason this wrapper is one of my favorites.  Of course, the wrapper is not why I purchased the puerh in the first place but rather the good reviews, a nice promotional tasting video by Scott, but mainly due to the fact that I am interested in the pressing of maocha that has been aged a bit before pressing.  Did I mention that this puerh goes for $64.00/ 250g cake or $0.26/g.… that is pretty cheap… another reason, I caked this sample…

This puerh was apparently found (?) as maocha by Scott one year after it was picked in the Spring of 2017.  Scott describes the taste as a very unique taste profile.  He doesn’t state weather its plantation or gushu or anything like this maybe because he wasn’t directly involved with the production of it… I’m not sure, but it cleanly passed the pesticide testing….

Ok let’s see what this one is all about…

The dry leaves smell of intense almost Kobucha like sour fruitiness.  There is a sweet and sour fruit odour that is deeply penetrating.

The first infusion has a sour and dough but not sourdough onset backed by a citrus almost grapefruit and peachy taste.  There are other fruity tastes that layer this initial profile. The mouthfeel is thick and almost astringent in the mouth and throat and give the tea a thick and strong mouthfeeling in the first infusion.  The throat sensation is strong and moderately deep.

The second infusion starts off with edges of fruity sour tastes thick thick thick in the mouth and throat.  The fruity taste feels really strong and is dense and layered with sour, and bread-like tastes.  There are edges of bitterness but more sour astringency than bitter.  The throat and mouthfeel are quite stimulating.  There is some mild pungency then sour fruity tastes.  The thorat stimulation is strong, a sticky almost sandy but opening astringency.

The third infusion starts a touch bitter and touch astringent with a blood orange taste with nuances of peach and even strawberry.  The fruity taste and the sour taste predominate.  The mouthfeeling is thick and coating a bit griping.  The Qi is pretty strong and pushes me into a sweat on the forehead here.  The face flushes and the chest feels almost tight.  My wife comments here, “this is powerful tea”.

The fourth infusion is mainly sour and has suggestions of grapefruit, strawberries, sour peach, fermenting sourness, delicious sour fruit.  There is a touch of a woody thing but the sour is thick, just kicked out some mild pungent.  Mainly sour fruit, distinct and thick.

The fifth infusion has a sour, almost bitterness happening.  There is a nice creamy returning sweetness here under the astringency, and bitterness.  The fruit note is thick.  The mouthnfeeling and throatfeeling is almost sandy, sticky, and astringent.  The throat is quite stimulated with the astringency there.

The sixth infusion is getting more astringent and bitter and the mouthfeeling is more astringent.  The fruitiness is distinct.  The astringency continues to build.  The throat is almost gripping.  The Qi is an alerting type with a tight feeling in the body, like a hug.

The seventh infusion starts of thick sour fruit, slight woody ferment base with astringency and bitter underlying.  This tea is definitely engaging and strong… punchy.  Thick mouthcoating.  There is a strength about it that gets you going, an active qi type sensation.

The eighth infusion starts a touch more fruity and the astringency is a touch dry with less of a thick dense mouthcoating.  It is almost an astringent dryness with a fruity tone underneath.

The ninth has a much stronger fruity explosion now.  It paints the tongue in an astringent fruity note.  There is some mild pungent coolness, then returning faint creamy sweetness and more sour fruitiness.  I can feel the tight Qi in the body.  A tight hug, some tight chest feeling, that is not at all bothersome but more soothing and energizing.

The 10^th starts bitter but fruity and nice strawberry almost peach like sweetness.  Sometimes this puerh tastes like cheap strawberry flavored wine.  The mouthfeel is much less now, almost sandy.

The 11^th becomes even bitterer and somewhat astringent with fruit notes lying underneath.  The taste really flattens out here and never really recovers…

The 12^th is bitter and sour fruit from the onset.  The fruit note is definitely still there but the mouthfeel has lost its depth and there is an astringent flatness to the infusions now.    

The 13^th is the last I attempt before putting it into overnight infusions.  It has a flat sandy mouthfeeling, astringent throat feeling and is subtly fruity and sour underneath.

Overall, it tastes a lot like Korean Balhyocha but with much more layered depth in the first infusions.  The first infusions are very tasty and feel quite full in the mouth.  Qi here is a tight body feeling and some stimulating power.  The stamina here is not good leading me to believe that this is likely terrace/ plantation Jingmai.  On the plus side, It comes with a really nice price tag and I quite enjoy the taste, mouthfeeling, and Qi of the first handful of infusions.  It comes on strong.

The above session I leafed it real hard.  I’ve had a chance to steep this puerh a few times and it seems to be better leafed a bit lighter due to its strength and bitter astringency.  Overall a nice puerh, a bit unique for its price…

Peace