Monday, December 23, 2019

2019 white2tea If You Are Reading This…


Lately I feel the haters eatin away at my confidence

They scream out my failures and whisper my accomplishments


I think there is basically four reasons why this cake was given the name and style of hip hop artist, Drake’s February 2015’s commercial mix tape.  Firstly, is that Paul of white2tea is a fan and often names his blends after hip hop songs.  He is quick to act and often uses very recent drops.  Secondly, is the obvious play on words between “Too” and “2” which can be seen throughout the white2tea branding, wrapper design and name.  Thirdly, this blend has a tone and feel of the mix tape, I believe.  This one is something not too standoffish or flashy, more of an unpretentious, under-the-covers, mature offering of deeper timbre.  Fourtly, the title implies a fear of missing out marketing angle that white2tea often uses to market its limited runs.

I think it’s also interesting that Paul pressed this one because the only other version, a 2015 white2tea If You Are Reading This, didn’t sell out quickly like most of the other cheaper cakes and more expensive cakes that may have been more popular in his 2015 line up.  However, the 2015 seemed reasonably popular or maybe it is just the casualty of occupying a certain price bracket between budget and premium and being more of a low-key puerh.  Maybe its because it was really undrinkable when freshly pressed… I really have no idea because I have never tried the 2015 version… but here we have a free coin (many thanks) that came with some 2019 white2tea Snoozefest cakes (the full cake goes for $55.00 for 200g cake or $0.28/g)…

The dry leaves smell of a sweet vegitalness with an underlying pungent floral quality.

The first infusion starts with a watery vegetal presentation with a touch of spice there is some floral lingering underneath barely under there.  There is a slight sandy flat mouthfeel that builds then there is a faint lingering grape note on the breath.

The second infusion starts watery vegetal with a touch of spice again.  There is almost a floral sweetness that tries to push through but languishes under a flat vegetal note.  The mouthfeel is the throat opens fairly nicely to a mid level with some saliva lingering in the upper throat.  The teeth feel squeaky and there is a rubbery base taste.  The aftertaste is of faint florals faint sweetness. 

The third infusion has a rubbery vegetal presentation with a deep astringency that I can feel it beating  on my digestive system.  Ouch! There is some grass tastes, some echoing florals and some sweet melon which all seem to be separate parts of the profile as opposed to a cohesive whole.  The mouthfeel is a squeaky astringency and the throat opens nicely to a mid- level.  This puerh tastes very green and fresh.  It is rather rough on the digestive system- quite raw really- this is standard young puerh stuff but this one is a bit rougher than most- not a drink now puerh at all.  The Qi is mild a bit on the face.  My early morning stupor has not been lifted yet from this tea…

The fourth has a vegetal front with a floral underside then kind of becomes vacuous there some spice in there.  There is a pond bitter green tea like quality to this puerh throughout.  It almost tastes like a Sencha with the strong vegetal with floral and bitter astringency.  There is also something in her that reminds me of a bit of Mengsong material blended in.  The mouthfeel is a squeaky astringency and the throat opens mildly.  This one is hard on the guts and I have to find some toast to remedy the gut wrenching.  The qi is mild building in the head a bit like a pressure there.

The fifth infusion starts with a mild bitter astringent watery green tea like floral.  The taste is almost a touch salty here there is a tiny flash of spice too.  The taste is really simple and the feeling is like this was just pressed days ago.  The mouthfeeling is squeaky astringency.

The sixth has pretty much the taste presentation- there is a bit more savory almost mineral notes coming out faintly over the bitter astringent vegetal floral.  The taste holds pretty still here.  The Qi has a mild pressure in the head.

The seventh is the same watery vegetal green tea like profile.  There is a touch of dirt/dry wood bark taste that presents throughout.  The astringent pucker is present on the lips, teeth, toungue, sides of the mouth, upper-mid troat, stomach, guts…. The floral aftertaste is quite long in this infusion.  This puerh reminds me of a Mengsong and Jinggu.  Although it seems pretty straightforward the astringency and throat opening will help its age with still something to enjoy.

The eighth infusion is plain vegetal, watery, slight bitter astringent, slight floral finish, very Sencha.  Mild squeaky mouthfeeling, slight top throat opening, mild head pressure Qi, very mild and not cohesive presentation of tastes yet.

The ninth infusion is woodier now with a bitter green tea like taste.  Simple spent green tea like suggestions.  The tenth is pretty much the same.  The taste is really watery and mild overall.  A bit of astringency.

The 10th is really watery and insipid with just edges of vegetal and floral.  The 11th seems like this puerh is already finished.  I try to will myself to put this into a few minute long steeps, ignoring the groins coming from my stomach.. but I’m getting some pretty extreme rawness from this puerh.  I know this is normal young puerh stuff, that’s all, but this gut rot is exceptionally disruptive.

I keep the dry leaves in the pot for a few days before I get my will up and my stomach rehabbed. I do a minutes long infusion… the leaves have mellowed out a bit from being left in the pot… the result is a mellow watery, vegetable tasting thing, with not really any sweetness and still a squeaky mouthfeeling.

I put it into a longer steeping… some mineral, some wood, barely spice, metallic tastes…

This puerh is not made for drinking anytime soon- it’s one for ageing.  Overall, it’s not overly complex and doesn't have great stamina.  On the other hand, I still think it will turn out very drinkable in maybe 5-6 years because it has enough astringency to give what is there for depth something to cling to…

Peace

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