2019 Puerist Man Xi Liang: Elegant Power!

 

This 2019 Puerist Man Xi Liang sells for approx. $117.00 for 200g cake or $0.59/g. It a famous sub area of Mengsong… I was most excited to try this one out of the free samples I was gifted last year!

Dry leaves smell of strong floral sweet with a strong powerful woody like Menghai kind of odour.

First infusion has an ashy woody pure sugar note that is quite clean and pure with a long cooling sugar taste with a Pasha foresty kind of taste to it. Long deep cooling breath and cooling.  Nice returning saliva over a very soft mouthfeeling. Nice mild spacy relaxing.

Second infusion has a quick bitter woody floral ashy initial taste. With and pure empty space feeling.  There is a soapy floral note that comes out in the finish.  Lots of space between the notes and a deep throat feeling.  The mouth feel is a soft fine gritty sandy feeling with some returning saliva.  There is lots of things going on with the profile which I really like.  The parts work well and gracefully but complex and strong.  Very nice.

The third infusion has a nice long peachy creamy sweet taste over a grainy sandy taste.  Nice bland forest taste.  Long deep cooling throat.  Long sweet foresty aftertaste.

The fourth has a quick bitter onset with a syrupy peachy forest woody initial taste before a long cooling sweet surgery peachy finish.  Nice full grainy sandy and chalky almost dry full mouthfeeling.  Nice strong heart beats with an uplifting strong energy.  This kind of tastes like a Pasha area and feels like a Bulang area. 

The 5^th infusion has a quick bitterness that leaves a woody and peachy taste in the mouth.  The taste of the woody-forest note has that deeper stronger Menghai like sensibility.  The taste is really deep in the throat and has a creamy peach woody taste. There is a very full drying chalky gritty sandy mouthfeeling which is kind of different feeling and very deep and balance feeling along with an empty throat that opens deeply.  It holds the sweet sugar peach for a long time there and releases a mild and slow release of saliva.  Strong heart beats and invigorating feeling with a nice subtle high.

The sixth infusion was left to cool and has this woody bland bitter peachy floral-soapy onset. There is more of a cream sweet taste in the finish. The mouthfeeling is chalkier and less dry.  The throat opening is mid-depth with a lingering creamy sweet and subtle cooling.  Chest pounding and invigorating qi.  There is a slow mild saliva release with sweet tastes.  A little bit of a lingering soft high feeling.

The seventh infusion has a bitter woody onset with a peachy flavor lingering underneath.  The mid-taste is a lingering peachy taste over a grainy-chalky slightly puckering sticky mouthfeeling. Nice strong chest, nice mild underlying high euphoria.

The eighth is left to cool and gives off a rubbery woody floral sweet almost peachy sugar taste with a long lingering sugar taste in the deep throat and breath.  Nice sticky chalky full mouthfeel with slow release saliva feeling.

9^th is left to cool and has a fast moving bitter sweetness of peach and coco with a woody undertone.  Very clean and clear pointed taste.  With a mid-deep opening throat with mild slow faint saliva release and returning sugar peach taste.  Nice strong Chest pounding with a energetic and mild high.  Clear pure and pointed.

10^th …. Oh boy I think I must have lots the rest of the notes on this one….

Overall, I really enjoyed it strong Bulang like alerting energy, and a Pasha like forest taste.  This one has the bitter-sweet and elegant/graceful but strong.  This has lots going on and is pretty enjoyable for me.

Peace

2014 Puerist Mangzhi: A Big Kick!

 

Dry leaves smell of faint fruity sweet fresh notes… very distant.  This 2014 Puerist MangZhi is currently not for sale…

First infusion has a sweet pop with wood a then a sugar finish.  Smooth watery with a long faint cooling on the breath that stretches out with sugar notes releasing and mouth salivating.  Nice solid subtle long sugar taste that returns strong in the saliva producing effect.

The second infusion has a strong rich woody faint plum pop of flavor with a faint underlying bitterness which slowly ekes out some strong saliva producing then long sugar taste.  There is this full but still gentle base to the profile like an underlying bitter astringency but barely and stable but the surgery taste is the dominant.  Nice long cooling throughout.  Strong sighs and chest opening feeling.  Nice sedating calm.

The third infusion has a fruity sweet woody almost dirt pop of taste.  It is clear but also kind of rich and layered fruity taste is almost like dried goji berries.  The sweet sugar taste is throughout but has these layers and nuaces in it.  The age and storage is at a point where is almost like dried fruit and almost like fresh fruit and the edge that its on now is super enjoyable to me.  Nice soft oily mouthfeeling with strong saliva producing and mid-throat opening.  Nice euphoric relaxing happening.

The fourth infusion has a sweet dried raison and goji bitter pop of flavor.  The taste is a rich dried fruity woody bitter taste.  It has a sort of brassy metallic feel and a sugar sweet taste throughout. This infusion has more saliva producing much more intense flavor including bitterness, richness, dried goji in a full throaty mouthfeeling with a big saliva gob stuck in the throat sensation.  Strong Chest Beat and energetic euphoria here.  Almost coco bitterness in the aftertaste but not quite.

5^th has a fruity vibrant goji berries pop of taste with a woody sort of metallic and sort of dry fruity nuance.  There is this long sugar taste throughout. There is this creamy bready almost bitter aftertaste.  Nice mid opening saliva gob in throat feeling.  Nice super relaxing feeling that induces deep meditative sighs.  There is an interesting layering to this puerh between semi aged notes and fresher notes, and a dueling base of both long sugar taste and an almost bitter-astringency taste. Mainly it goes quite sweet though.

6^th has a vibrant fruity bitter sugar- fresh fruity plum and dry goji taste.  The pop of taste is notable as is the quick bitterness that lingers low after the secondary wave.  The result is lots of saliva producing.  Lingering bitter astringency is felt.  Strong euphoric relaxing.

7^th has a creamy bready fruity onset with secondary bitterness and long sugar taste faint long cooling and chalky soft feeling in the mouth with strong throaty feeling like a gob of saliva in the throat.  There is an almost soapy floral nuance to it.  These infusions have this rich faint bitterness base and an ethereal sugar stamina. Strong mind bending relaxing now.

8^th has a buttery bready sweet and almost fruity taste with a low lingering faint bitter-astringency and long sugar taste.  There is a long bready sweet aftertaste and lots of salivating.  Nice mid throat stimulation that is quite nice.  Strong tranquil feeling with strong chest beats and heart beating sensations that reverberate in the body.

9^th has a fruity sweet dried plum and goji taste with a metallic brassy finish in the mouth.  Tastes of fresh fruity and dry and sugar layer.  Nice sweetness here but also a long lingering astringency.  Strong effect on the body/Chest/Heat and tranquil in the mind.  Lingering bitter astringency can be felt in the Stomach.

10^th has a bready peachy vibrant pop with a bitter and astringent finish. Nice long sugar taste.  The astringency builds a bit and I walk away from this one again.

I return the next day to do a few mug steepings and I get some deeper darker notes out of that with still some bitter/astringency and long sugar taste. Overall, this is a strong Mangzhi with some astringency that is hard to overlook, especially on an empty stomach.  I like the Mangzhi area and appreciate the nuance and power to this 2014 Puerhist Mang Zhi.

Vs 2018 Zheng Si Long Mang Zhi- I had this one back to back as a comparison but the Zheng Si Long Mang Zhi are more vegetal and caramel and much more approachable than this 2014 Puerist Mang Zhi which is much more astringent and bitter with much more layering and depth as well. This 2014 Puerist is still not really to enjoy drinking even for me someone who enjoys stronger stuff.  I still think I like the 2018 Zheng Si Long Mang Zhi better than both of these but the 2014 Purist Mang Zhi shows some promise as it ages.

Peace

2015 Puerist Autumn Gua Feng Zhai

This was a complimentary sample for review but the cake goes for approx $63.00 for 200g cake or $0.32/g.  Its pretty cheap for even Autumnal Gua Feng Zhai so let’s see what that’s about…

The dry leaves are a dry sweet fruity woody odour.

The first infusion has a peachy pear onset with oily texture there is a bit of spicy tastes in the mid profile then a woody finish with a deep cooling throat and mouth.  The oily lubricating texture is nice as well as the long peachy pear taste which strings out from initial to aftertaste. 

The second infusion has that same satisfying peachy-pear onset with a woody mid- profile. Nice light and airy feeling with long pear-peach finish.  Woody taste is underneath this airy and unadulterated peachy pear.  The pop of sweetness initially is nice as well as some long deep aftertaste.  Nice elegant Gua Feng Zhai here.  Qi is mild focusing.  A nice slow long saliva release gives off a peachy pear oily taste in the mouth even minutes later… so nice.  Under the lubricating feel is a very soft mouthfeeling.

Third infusion has a strong woody pear onset with oily thick texture and lubricating feeling.  There is a deep mid throat coolness and full chalky motuhfeeling.  There is some chest opening feelings and a wave of calm feeling in my body. Nice oily textures with full sticky chalky mouthcoating.  This has more upper throat stimulation and long peachy-pear-woody long aftertaste.  Nice full feeling in the mouth.

Fourth infusion has a woody sandy onset with lesser peachy pear notes.  The mouthfeeling is gripping with some floral appearing in the woody finish.  This infusion has more wood dryness than oily sweet peachy pear.  The upper throat is stimulated a bit.  Nice chest opening feeling with deep relaxing sighs.

5^th infusion has a chalky pear and woody onset with an oily lubricating feeling.  The oily texture is nice and sweet with a syrupy pear taste when the liquor cools down.  The Qi is a strong calming and sighing chest opening Qi- very relaxing and quieting.  Nice saliva producing and long syrupy pear taste.  Qi is so deeply relaxing… so nice….

6^th infusion has a honey woody bitter pear initial taste with a tongue tingling mouthfeeling.  Nice chalky woody pear taste is really long and the mouthfeel is almost puckering dry after the saliva retreats.  Nice strong spacey deep sigh relaxing with deep chest opening feelings.  Strong Qi for me.

7^th infusion has a watery chalky woody onset with a bit of pear peachy at the periphery.  There is a nice cool mouth and stimulated top throat with woody chalky sort of sweet pear at the edges.  Big Qi of deep relaxing here.  A bit puckering astringent but with fruity edges and powerful arms floating away Qi.

8^th has a watery melon sweet onset with a cool almost but not really menthol coolness that is really faint.  There is a long melon aftertaste that has a juicy and fresh taste to it.  Very soft light mouthfeelng now.  Simple tastes.

9^th has a woody melon taste to it with a long faint melon finish.  The mouthfeeling is really soft now.  Strong Qi is euphoric.  Nice mellow sweet melon taste.  Very simple and clear now with soft mild taste and mouthfeeling.  Strong Qi sensations still.

I mug steep out the rest… the result is a woody bitter taste with melon and some foresty mushroom tastes.  Still very strong calming and warm waves of energy with limbs floating.  Strong Chest expanding sensation and limbs floating- very strong bodyfeeling here.  Overall, this one had a bit weak stamina in its flash steepings and falls into a simple taste relatively quickly but its still quite delicious and very satisfying in early infusions.  It can be enjoyed late into the session for its powerful Qi!

Vs 2016 Gua Feng Zhai Pure Ancient Tree from Paolo- Its amazing how close this mug steeping is to the 2016 Gua Feng Zhai from Paolo I had yesterday!  This one has more of a floral soapy taste in there vs the 2016 which had more mushroom taste.  Both are very Qi heavy as Gua Feng Zhai should always be.

Vs 2014 Puerist Auumn Pasha- these are both nice Autumn puerh which means great value.  The Pasha is all about its strong bitter backbone and the contrast between this power and its lighter nuances.  This 2015 Gua Feng Zhai is a very nicely balanced with its trick being the powerful Qi and bodyfeeling.

Peace

 

 

2014 Puerist Autumn Pasha

 

This sample was sent as free for review and is currently sold out.  It was selling for a very reasonable price when I checked a few months back…

Dry leaves smell of fresh floral and fruity notes.

The first infusion has a light fruity floral kind of spicy with a woody finish.  There is a strong chest feeling immediately and more back of the mouth sensations.

The second infusion left to cool down has a spicy caramel floral sweetness initially.  There is faint traces of bitterness but also a foresty spicy note. There is also notable prune flavours in the taste. Nice chesty Qi sensations going on here.

The third has strong floral oily sweet forest mango like taste upfront with a floral bubble gum edge to it.  The taste really pops and explodes in the mouth with lots of oily mouthwatering over a faint rubbery feeling mouth and the faintest cooling that is mainly in the back of the mouth.

The fourth infusion has a fruity caramel sweetness with a candy like sweet taste to it.  The chalky sweetness plays out in the aftertaste.  There is a slight rubbery mouthfeeling with oily textures on top and a back of the mouth sensation.  The Qi is felt in the chest and is slightly calming in the mind.

The 5^th infusion has a fruity soapy floral initially that almost turns into a Thrills gum candy like taste kind of a mouthnumbing minty feeling and taste in there as well.  The initial taste is really strong and has a forest-like almost but not really bitter pulling sensation in the mouth that comes off as really thick feeling.  The taste doesn’t really evolve or change much but is more of just a slow fade out into a more candy-like sweet taste in the flat rubbery full mouthfeeling.  Nice relaxing feeling in the mind.

6^th infusion has a nice fruity forest caramel onset with an almost coco bitter edge to it.  There is a spice note and a woody-coco bitter forest like note.  Floral sweet taste almost candy like Thrills gum.  Long candy like fade out.  The mouthfeel is full but mild rubbery chalky feeling with and oily texture on top.  Chest pressure is apparent.

7^th …. Day got way to busy so I’ve abandon the session and back again tomorrow.

I steep it a few more times the next day at flash infusions and it gives off very fresh fruity sweet notes with a candy floral like edge and an almost bitter forest type of base taste.

I push it into long mug infusions and it gives off a bitter floral onset with a forest-woody-coco aftertaste.  The bitterness is really pronounced in these long mug infusions of the spent leaves. There is a chest opening feeling with Heart beats and only a mild unobtrusive focusing calm in the mind.  The bitter coco is really pronounced speaking to the depth of this Pasha.

I am go to the Puerist website and am really surprised at the price.  This 200g cake is selling for approx. $54.00 for 200g cake.  Great bargain cake.

Vs 2015 Tea Urchin Pasha (pictured below)- I drank these two back to back.  The 2015 Tea Urchin is a Spring cake but not as Gushu in Taste and feel as the 2014 Puerist Autumn. The thickness, mouthfeeling and strong candy sweet taste are much more pronounced in the 2014 Puerist Autumn Pasha.  The 2015 Tea Urchin is a more rounded experience with more complete mouthfeeling though for half the price the 2014 Puerist Autumn Pasha is twice as good with still lots of depth and power for aging out.

Peace

2015 Puerist Yiwu #1 (Man Sa)

 I got this complimentary sample for review from Puerist.  I mentioned before that the Yiwu Numbers cakes from Puerist simply are numbering different secret forest areas they are not a ranking. I have posted on Yiwu #8 in the past.  This 2015 Puerist Yiwu #1 ($87.00 for 200g cake or $0.44/g) is from the Mansa area according to the description on the site.  This is the first of a handful of posts on some of the Puerist samples I received and consumed over the Spring and Summer.  I drank this one right after the 2017 Puerh.uk Mansa to compare…

Dry leaf has muted flowery sweet woody odours on this one.

First infusion had a smooth woody clear watery taste.  There is a soft almost peachy distant ghostly finish.  Soft watery woody fruity muted taste over a soft mossy coating.

The second infusion has a clear peachy spacious taste with a fade out into the aftertaste with a pop of initial woody peachy taste then a fade out with faint cool breath.  The Qi pools in the chest and the mind unwinds.  Dry lips hold icing sugar taste.  

The third is left to cool and gives off a smooth oily peachy taste.  Long elegant motion into a melon fruity returning finish with nice oily texture cool breath and mid-deep throat opening.  Spacy mind unwinding feeling with subtle chest opening. 

4^th has a woody melon creamy sweet onset with a pop of creamy sweetness then a returning wave of melon under the creamy sweetness a bit of woodiness.  Elegant motion of taste here… mainly sweet taste with a bit of dry lips and edges of tongue.  Very spacy relaxing feel.  Strong Gushu feel to this one.

5^th has a woody peachy creamy sweet pop of oily taste then returns with melon creamy sweetness. There are edges of elegant coco that appear in the aftertaste and mid body that add another layer to the taste.  Chest opening with some slow beats and deep sighs.

6^th infusion has a peachy almost ashy woody onset with a fainter melon with a layer of elegant clear coco taste.  Nice Chest opening feeling and strong euphoria in mind.  

7^th has a peachy ashy woody coco almost dirt like taste with some faint melon and coco returning taste.  There is a woody dirt coco nuance that is developing here.  The mouthfeeling is a bit sandy and chalky but mainly a soft mossy coating with dry lips edges.  Open Chest and uplifting euphoria.  

8^th infusion has a slightly bitter woody dirt ashy coco sort of taste to it with a cooling breath and returning melon creamy woody.  There is a mild amount of pucker here.  Strong euphoria mind ease with open chest feeling and body melting feeling qi- feels really good.

9^th has a woody fruity peachy dirt ash woody cooc mild bitter onset with an oily texture and dry lips edges mid- deep open throat.

10^th has a woody dirt coco flat woody bitterness that give the mouth a bit of drying and a bit of bitterness.  It dries the lips a bit.  With a bit of fruity pop initially over the bitter woody and a bit of cooling melon over the dry woody in the finish…

I steep a few more the next day…

11^th is left to cool and has a fruity peachy melon onset with a long creamy melon finish.  Fresh and surprisingly vibrant fruity sweet tastes in a mild mossy tongue coating.

12^th has a woody peachy melon sweetness.  Clear fresh vibrant fruity tastes today this far into the session.  Mossy mouthcoating.  Unwinding mind space. 

13^th has a juicy fresh melon and peachy vibrant sweetness there is a faint ghostly woody body. Clear fruity gushu like feel and taste.  Mossy mild mouthfeeling.  

I mug steep out the rest of the spent leaves and it gives off a juicy minty melon taste that is pretty oily but also a bit drying in the mouth. 

Vs 2017 Puerh.uk Mansa (pictured above) which is also quite juicy and a bit more drying in this long mug infusion… This 2015 Puerist Yiwu #1 is much more gushu in its pure feeling and taste and Qi. The puerh.uk is a bit rough and not as clearly gushu to me.  However the punchiness of the puerh.uk is super enjoyable a balance of punchiness mixed in to give it more variance. This Puerist has a very deep Gushu Qi to it which I quite like- I like the price too!

Peace

2017 Puerh.uk Mansa “Ancient Tree”

 

This was a complimentary sample and has not been listed on Puerh.uk website…

Dry leaves smell of creamy fruity fresh sweetness… mmmmm… really delicious smelling…

First infusion has a creamy woody fluffy dense presentation of creamy powdery sweetness over background wood.  The taste sort of fades from the initial sugary creamy woody powdery sweetness. The mouthfeeling is fluffy and chalky and the breath is slightly cooling with sugar finish in the mouth.  Relaxing feeling already.

The second infusion has a fruity bready woody sort of stewed peachy and woody sort of taste. Condensed woody fruity oily chalky creamy powdery punch!  Very tasty with a woody base and long cooling sugar sweet aftertaste.  Some Chest opening and happy energy burst.  Can feel it in the Chest and Lungs- Breath expanding feeling.

The third infusion has a woody oily chalky sweet stewed peach creamy sweetness more woodiness comes out here.  The mouthfeeling becomes more full and drying here.  With a woody sugar almost camphor developing cool sweet finish.  With a puckering mouthfeeling and mild throat pucker stimulation.  The strong dense taste with the full puckering mouthfeeling and strong chest, Lung, Shoulder opening feeling is an intense package. There is an energetic upbeat feeling.

The fourth infusion has a woody oily almost stewed peachy woody puckering taste.  There is a dry puckering in the mouth.  Lots of condensed sugar and stewed peachy sweetness some almost brown sugar edges that are strongly paired with woody tastes.  Strong Chesty feeling and woody cooling sugar finish.  Upbeat qi.

5^th woody brown sugar dry wood mouth puckering dry coating cool and sweet finish with woody. Peachy long aftertaste.  Strong Chest Qi.

6^th is left to cool and gives off a peachy creamy chalky sweet with edges of caramel taste.  Nice pop of sweet taste with an oily peachy fresh taste. Long peachy brown sugar caramel melts into the aftertaste… Yummy.  Mind is upbeat and Chest feels open.

7^th is cooled down but infusion has a creamy fruity sweet taste.  Long peachy creamy caramel brown sugar sweetness not much woody just long dense complex delicious sweetness here.  You can feel the jaw and chest open and limbs loose and a nice feel good vibe here. 

8^th has a woody creamy sweet woody almost coco taste.  Less oily full chalky slight cry but not puckering any more the last infusions feel fuller and oilier in the mouth.  Upbeat with shoulders and limbs light.

9^th was accidentally a longer infusion a good 5 minutes!  It’s a woody bitter coco creamy brown sugar with a gripping mouthfeeling and deep woody coolness in the mouth.  A strong bitter woody taste is dominant in these stronger infusions.  Nice throat stimulating at the top of the throat.  Some sour bitter woody tastes also fruity. Strong intense flavor reminds me of the powerful first few infusions and that this has a lot of strength underneath its peachy fruity and long sweet infusions. 

10^th is another long one… it is left for hours and cool it tastes creamy dense oily fruity sweetness with edges of sour and bitter woodiness.

Mug steeping is oily and a bit drying with a more woody drying overall taste with some throat coolness.  There is a strong mouthfeeling pucker with not much sweetness at the edges and lost in the puckering feeling.  There is a pop of fruity sweet that pops through in the initial taste.  There is also a powdery talc cherry bitterness as well.

Overall, this one has both an elegance to it with really delicious tastes especially in the first few infusions.  Of note is the really long delicious aftertaste.  But lots of intense power as well with very gripping mouthfeeling and throatfeeling and bitter and astringent sour tastes.  Its Qi is pretty strong with Chest limbs and jaw body feelings and a happy vibes feeling.  As a result this puerh is really a dichotomy of sorts.  Some aging would do this one well. Like the 2014 puerh.uk Mengsa this one has some Gushu-ish qualities but also some harsher qualities but the result works especially if the price is reasonable.

Peace