If you've ever decided to dive into the puerh world, menghai (dayi) is probably the first place you'll end up looking. Everyone who is a semi-serious tea drinker knows about this famous tea factory. In terms of production volume, my estimate is that dayi is king.
The 7542 is where my official puerh journey began. Apparently the 7542 recipe is a great starting point. It is a middle of the road cake that both experts and beginners can enjoy.
The cake I have is from 04 and has been in my possession for roughly over four months. My particular specimen is rather dry, and extremely fragrant. I generally notice minty, grassy, and floral smells. It's always a pleasant experience when I take the cake out of it's packaging because I'm immediately hit with all those nice smells (mine came in a special gift box from red blossom tea in San Francisco).
The liquor is a dark yellow to light orange, and the texture of the liquid is actually fairly watery. I've noticed that this tea really takes you on a roller coaster.
The first infusion is always very light, while the next couple of infusions open up rather dramatically. During those early infusions I'm hit with a large amount of bitterness, followed by a nice sweetness and floral tastes. The huigan on this tea is certainly present, but doesn't knock your socks off. The mouth feel is pleasant enough. This tea makes my mouth and the back of my throat water.
I'm currently just finished drinking my 6th infusion or so, and the huigan has increased. I've got a great sweetness that lingers in the back of my throat and a slight tingle on my tongue. The very noticeable astringency in the first infusions has taken a back seat to mild floral and sweet flavors.
This is an enjoyable tea. It's not my favorite, but my sessions with it are generally consistent and I know I can always count on it to deliver. The only thing missing in this tea is a stellar Cha qi, but it's still there.
I look forward to seeing how this cake ages through the years. Hopefully I don't drink it all first!
-PBR
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