2022 Tea Encounter Walong Gushu: Smooth and Dreamy

 

I drank this one after the 2022 Tea Encounter Man Zhuan and it was surprisingly smooth and easy drinking… I got this free sample but the cake of 2022 Tea Encounter Walong Gushu goes for $150 for 250g cake or $0.60/g.

Dry leaves have a piercing cooling sweet pungent odour to them.

First infusion has a spicy forest vegetal taste that has a barely noticeable faint lingering sugar on the edges.  It expands a bit in the returning taste. There is a wet mouthfeeling here with saliva producing where most of the sugar sweet edges reside.

The second infusion has a forest vegetal onset with slowly unraveling sweetness of melon and sugar edges.  The taste is subtle and expanding with a mid-throat coolness and long mild unraveling of sweet taste.  The mouthing is watery and soft.  The body is relaxed and peaceful mind.

The third infusion has a mild forest woody onset that feels a bit empty but slowly develops subtle sweet edges.  The mouthfeeling is wet and a subtle melon-vegetal note lingers.  A mild dreamy feeling is felt.  Watery mild soft mouthfeeling.

The fourth infusion is left to cool and gives off a foresty not quite woody tasting soup there is not much sweetness in this puerh but more of an overall rain forest taste.  Some sugar faint edges that return.  Mild forest taste, mild watery mouthfeeling, mild relaxing Qi.   Naturally comfortable in the body.  It doesn’t at all resemble the power of all the other Walong area puerh I’ve tried before.  Those who like their puerh smooth are going to really enjoy this one. 

The fifth infusion has a mild forest onset with edges of sugar and barnyard and some hard to grasp tartness.  The tastes are all very mild and hard to grasp with an overall forest taste.  There is a bit more tongue sandy gripping and mid-throat opening but very mild.  Relaxing feeling in the body.

The 6^th has a bit of a mild pop of sour peachy bitterness that makes the mouth salivate and mildly pucker.  There is a long melon taste in the mouth that extends down the throat.  The melon taste lingering for minutes.

7^th is cooled down and gives off a pop of mild melon bitterness.  There is a creamy cool returning sweetness that stretches into the aftertaste and lingers even minutes later. 

8^th has a watery milky forest taste with faint edges of sweetness which lingers in the mouth.  There is a faint bitterness.  The taste is mild and slowly appears then faintly lingers.  Nice mild melon minutes later.  Mild relaxing feeling.

9^th is left to cool and gives off a mild forest taste with subtle bitterness and sweetness both very wisp and hard to grab on to.  The bodyfeeling is very mild with a faint heavy shoulders and mild relaxing.  The mouthfeel continues to be very light with a mid-throat opening where some faint sweetness resides.

10^th has a mild forest watery faintly bitter with a faint pucker and watery feeling some coolness mid-throat with some faint creamy melon sweetness.  Nice relaxing mild wave hits me- mildly tranquil.

11^th left to cool has a woody forest taste with a lingering and slowly building mild creamy sweetness.  The mouthfeel has a soft dryness to it now.  Nice relaxing feeling.

12^th is left to cool and gives off a bland forest taste with some sweet edges.  Fine sand and watery mouthfeeling.  Relax.  Feels really effortless and mild profile.

13^th has a mild juicy fruity bitter-astringency with long fading taste over a thin soft drying mouthfeeling and long taste.  Long melon with dry coating minutes later.

Mug steepings of the spent leaves give off an olive and forest taste that is slightly bitter there are some faint sugary edges and a melon and bitter creamy sweet finish.  Relaxing feeling.

Vs 2022 Tea Encounter ManZhuan Gushu (pictured Left).  These two Manzhuan puerh are very very different.  The Manzhuan had a deeper mouthfeeling and Qi sensation and strong building bitter-astringency and mouthfeeling.  Something that should be aged.  This 2022 Tea Encounter Walong Gushu is very mild, agreeable, soft watery mouthfeelng mid throat depth and mild relaxing that is a touch dreamy. Something that could be consumed fresh.

Peace