2005 ChenYuan Hao Jing Chang Cha Zhuang

I was excited to try this sample from ChenYuan Hao because it follows in the Series of blended cakes that commemorate Classic puerh cakes that include the 2003 ChenYuan Hao Tong Qing Hao and the 2004 ChenYuan Hao Song Pin Hao.  Also because this comes from the same old man storage as the 2003 ChenYuan Hao Yiwu and 2004 ChenYuan Hao Song Pin Hao which I really enjoy.  This 2005 Chenyuan Hao Jing Chang is for sale at Puerh.uk for approx $351.00 for 357g cake or $0.98/g.

 

Dry leaves smell of creamy woody fallen leaf subtle smoke like complexity.

First infusion has a fruity clear watery taste with a smoke follow up a bit woody.  Watery sandy mouthfeeling. Nice mild cool throat with subtle candy sweet aftertaste.

Second has a creamy fruity clear onset with a creamy expanding fluffy sweetness with subtle smoke.  There is a watery sandy and a touch gripping mouthfeeling with a long subtle creamy candy finish.  Some nuance of wood bark in there too.  Relaxing feeling can feel it in jaw and elbows.

Third infusion has a woody fruity creamy sweet dry wood bark onset.  The mouthfeel is gripping sandy slightly drying and the throat opening is pretty deep.  Qi washes a wave of relaxation and mild stillness over me- its mild but noticeable. Nice peace out content feeling.  Some bodyfeeling in neck, jaw, face.  Long candy sweet taste lingering is really nice.

Fourth infusion was left to cool and gives off a creamy fruity vibrant fluffy sweet candy-like thing.  The deep throat opening holds faint creamy candy sweetness.  There is a touch caramel initially that ducks into the creamy candy taste also some dry woody taste.  Clear pure taste but cohesive with a focus on long creamy candy sweetness.  Relaxing and peaceful feeling with mild sensations is jaw.  Watery, sandy mouthfeeling.

The fifth infusion has a fruity woody coco onset with a returning mild but expanding creamy candy sweetness.  Throat feeling not quite as deep but a nice chalky powdery feeling in mouth.  A bit of a warmer spicier subtle nuance hard to grasp as over the long more obvious candy creamy cotton candy aftertaste.  Peaceful Qi.

6^th infusion has a creamy almost fruity woody onset that is a bit fruitier woody and less candy sweet which sort of appears in the aftertaste as it expands I the mouth a bit and into the throat.  Sticky chalky sandy mouthfeeling that dries out the roof of the mouth.  Warming and peaceful energy here that is starting to give me a deeper relaxing feeling almost sleepy.

7^th has a woody dry wood less fruity but more creamy candy across the profile with a warming Qi blanket.  The mouthfeeling is becoming quite gripping. Sleepy energy takes hold.

8^th has a dry woody puckering with not much sweetness left in there.  Some faint candy comes out in the aftertaste but its mainly overpowering puckering dry woodiness with faint edges of complexity- fruit, wood, creamy, candy.  Dry squeaky roof of mouth.  Sleepy Qi.

9^th has a woody fallen leaf dry woody bland taste with not much sweetness in here but with a drying gripping mouthfeel that makes the roof of the mouth dry.  Some incense in there.  Really mainly just woody water now.

I push with a longer infusion fearing the dry gripping mouthfeeling… 30 seocnds for the 10^thbut it is just dry woody water with overwhelming gripping dry pallet drying mouthfeeling.  Sleepy relaxing is king here.

I mug steep out the rest… its woody fallen leaf bland with not much else to savour… not much stamina for this one.  

My least favourorite of the Chen Yuan Hao I’ve sampled of these curated samples but still really enjoyed it lots especially of note is the long deep throated candy aftertaste and sleepy Qi in the first half of the session.  I also likes the separate blended layers that can really be seen separately in the profile as it descends into intense bitter astringency… Latter it becomes an intense dry gripping mouthfeeling with no sweetness and limited depth… the downfall.

Peace