This 2024 Tea Encounter Yiwu “Chun Lei” goes for $52.53 for 250g or $0.21/g. I got this complimentary sample for review. It is one of two secret garden puerh that Tea Encounter offered in their Spring 2024 release. I tried the 2024 Tea Encounter “Fei Cui” the day before this one.
The Dry leaves have a very sweet salty sour forest odour.
Rinsed leaves have a very sweet bready pastry odour with interesting forest notes.
First infusion has a watery pungent barnyard with spice. There is a mild sweet return. The cooled down liquor is similar with a mild sweetness and warm spice with a sweet sugar return.
Second has a pungent warm spicy onset… reminds me of boarder tea or close to it. With bread warm spice and sugar finish. There is a sort of oily texture with sticky squeaky gums. Long sweet finish linger in mouth. Spacy mind. Heavy head.
Third infusion has a spicy warm onset with cool pungency and sweet bread tastes. There is a tanginess to it almost bitter with a slight gripping mouthfeel. There is some orange peel fruity taste in there too. Overall a spicy warming and cooling pungency feels upfront. There is a Heavy head with slow mind.
Fourth infusion has a pungent warm spice onset that is pretty upfront and strong. Slight very mild bitter. This is a unique taste but not Yesheng definitely tastes like border tea or close to the border. The mouthfeel is strong and present and full with sticky gums slight sandy dry tongue and mild throat tugging. Heavy head feeling and slow thoughts slight sleepy.
5th is left to cool and has a spicy brassy fruity taste that is mainly warming spice. Slight almost bitter and full mouthfeeling of gums and tongue dry squeaky. Slight head heaviness and relaxing slow thoughts. Heavy shoulders and head.
6th has a spicy fruity bitter onset with a sort of wild flower or weedy taste. Full mouthfeel with a sticky full sandy tongue and mouth. Slight rubbery bitter finish reminiscent of a Yesheng with long cooling breath gripping slightly throat. Mind head heavy and heavy mind feeling.
7th has an almost floral spice bitter slight salty note. Mouthfeel is full a bit oily texture with a slight gripping and squeaky gums and sandy slight dry mouth. I like how present the mouthfeel is without being overbearing. Qi has a heavy slowing vibe to it.
8th has a bitter slight floral low sweet taste with a slight spring gripping mouthfeel. Full mouthfeel with more saltiness and savour coming out. Slow down Qi in here.
9th has a sweet pop initial with floral onset the bitter sweet balance is really nice here with a flat bland type mild bitterness that comes after sweet. Mouthwatering effect cool breath. Lots happening in the initial taste with less in the finish with this puerh.
10th has a dry woody profile with that sweet pop juicy floral followed by bland bitter with a floral mouth finish. Salty savoury in there too. I really like these later infusions they are yummy to me. Qi is a bit warming and building giving me less slowness and more peaceful stillness.
11th has a floral onset with a quick pop of sweetness then floral bitter bland. Mouthwatering and floral delicious! Mouthfeel is full slight dry sandy tongue but never dry throat which makes it feel really engaging but not strangling. Qi is a floating mind peaceful feeling.
I wanted to go longer with this one as it has great stamina and us getting better in these late sessions but run out of time in a day…
The long overnight mug steeping of spent leaves had lots left to enjoy- it is oily and spicy and salty. There is a bright floral sunny sweetness underneath. Lots of vibrancy still- great stamina in these leaves. The mouthfeel has a squeaky gums and subtle tight driness. Really nice things going on with this one late in the session- I like this. This puerh is a great value proposition considering its price tag. It was one of my favourites of the sampling!
Vs 2024 Tea Encounter “Fei Cui”- these two are very different puerh- the “Fei Cui” has much deeper and refined qualities with long evolving layered sweet taste and deeper Qi but has poor stamina. This “Chun Lei” is slow to start and has lots of change from the start of the session to the end. It has a more complex and changing taste and energy and really good stamina.
Peace
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