Marco’s 2021 Blind Tasting Alpha

Okay I got the package in the mail yesterday then got right at the blind tasting today which is the first cool day in a few months during the drought here in Western Canada.  It’s a rainy day and the first day with overnight temperatures dipping past 15 C. Work is steady but not busy… perfect for a day of blind sampling…

Dry leaves have a smoky leathery yet underlying sweet Yiwu odour that smells a lot like Yang’s storage of Yang Qing Hao.  The smell tells my brain that I’ve had this puerh before…

First infusion has quite a smooth soft sweetness obvious of Yiwu.  The creamy sweetness onset has a touch of tart, almost bitter coco, and finishes a faint creamy cool dry woody on the breath.  Nice smooth feeling in taste, Qi and in its watery oily mouthfeeling that induces a mild salivation.  There is aftertastes even minutes later in the oily mouth.

The second infusion has a woody teak, creamy sweet robustness to it.  There are some leather almost beet sweet potato notes underneath.  Overall a very woody creamy yiwu taste, nice coolness in throat.  The veggies notes remind me of Gua Feng Zhi.  All the tastes are over a chalky oily mouthfeeling.  There is nice throat saliva stimulating even minutes later.  Qi is really nice, strong in a relaxing euphoria floating feeling kind of way.

The third infusion has a sweet onset of creamy sweet almost cherry powdery sweetness there is a bit of woodiness then a coolness in the mouth that reaches down the throat.  Nice cooling creamy sweet finish.  Nice smooth feeling to this puerh, very sweet.  Very comforting and cozy and mild euphoria.  Chalky oily mouthfeeling with an open deep throat and slow saliva returning minutes later.  Subtle smoke on breath minutes later.

The fourth infusion has a very sweet creamy onset with a slightly tart cherry teak woody backbone.  The woodiness is stronger than the sweet here but a nice balance with a cooling deep throat and some gripping with returning saliva.  There is a bit of pucker here with some astringency.  Nice putting-at-ease Qi feeling that is deep and penetrating.  Very comforting. Mild body sensations of slight floating and limb tingling.

The fifth infusion has a woody sweet onset the taste is a bit more woody teak tasting than sweet now.  The woody taste is substantial.  There is a bit of astringency but mainly is smooth woody sweetness.  A long cooling throat with chalky mouthfeeling.  Nice relaxing Qi feeling.  Slight floating with mild limbs tingling.

The 6^th has a creamy smooth woody sweetness nice chalky mouthfeeling.  There is a bit of tart cherries and coolness in the throat.  Mainly woody with some sweetness.  Nice spacy-relaxing-cozy feeling.

The 7^th is again a nice creamy sweet which turns a bit woody astringent.  Nice chalky full mouthfeeling.  Faint smoke and leather.  Relaxing cozy feeling, with a subtle light feeling in the body some limb and even face tingling.  Creamy sweetness is left in mouth minutes later.

8^th has a flatter cherry creamy fruity taste with a wood underneath.  It is more creamy sweet than woody here.  Subtle astringency that returns a bit of saliva, faint smoke and leather.  It seems to alternate.  Face tingling and limb tingling is becoming more obvious now. 

9^th has a creamy menthol taste to it woody, creamy, cool pungent, sweet.  Nice Yiwu-ness to it.  A bit of pucker, astringent griping but mild and deep throaty cool feeling with stronger dryness.  Subtle warm spicy cinnamon on breath minutes later.  Warming cozy feeling induces a sweat.

10^th has a watery creamy woody astringent onset with deep cool throat.  Woody and creamy sweet almost leather.  The last few infusions have been more gripping but also a lingering sweetness minutes later.

11^th has a more watery feeling with a stronger astringency but without as much flavor initially but more of mainly creamy sweet deep cool throaty aftertaste and breath taste.  Nice relaxing cozy feeling.  Saliva struggling to return.

12^th has a woody, dry gripping, with more sweetness now on the breath- a creamy sweet taste.  There is some mineral taste, and even leathery tastes.  Limb and face tingling and warm cozy feeling with face warming now.  Some subtle spice in the aftertaste minutes later.

13^th has a creamy woody almost fruity leather taste to it.  Face sweating is happening.  Some dry puckering.  Nice long sweet taste in throat.  Lots of heat generated in this one.  Nice cozy feeling on this rainy day.

14^th has a watery creamy fruity taste.  Slight dry gripping mouthfeeling with deep throat cool and lingering sweet breath taste.  Compounding warming energy.

The long mug steepings of spent leaves are a bit dirt tasting with a bitter astringent woodiness left over… nothing much left to savour.

Guess:  Either a 2004-2006 Yang Qing Hao production or the Yang Stored 2001 Jing-Yeh Hao “Green Sun”

The Yiwu pedigree, 2004-2006, Yang storage, and Gushu profile is undeniable here.  It is most likely the 2001 Jinyehao (Green Sun) cake stored by Yang which was the only cake I requested to try from Marco.  It might just taste a bit younger due to maybe Marco purchasing it from Yang’s storage 3-5 years ago then it being exposed to dryer sealed storage here in Canada? Also it seems to roughly match what Shah8’s notes say about the famous 2001 Jinyehao.  I especially relate to the fact it could be autumn material due to the intense wood character that sometimes occurs in semiaged autumn cakes that I’ve tried before. What impressed me the most about this sample was the deep penetrating warmth cozy feeling of the Qi here which is really satisfying and pretty intense.  This kind of Intensely warming Qi is something I have not experienced from Yang Qing Hao productions before. 

Peace