I've only just started discovering Pu-erh, I've got a few tuos from Jing and some beengs from Yunnan Sourcing, a few 2005 7542's which I didnt like, they probably need to mellow, and a 2004 Mengku Wu Chi Dao which I did like.
I am thinking of getting a few more of the Wu Chi Dao not just to drink but to keep, is that advisable, for short term will their smokiness mellow over the next few years? I am also attracted to the 2005 Wood Smoked that Yunnan Sourcing have because the leaves just look interesting, is that advisable?
On another subject I am also curious what teapot to get, I've got one of Jing's 70cc Xi Shi teapots I use for Wuyi Oolongs (that he doesnt sell anymore) and I was thinking of getting something very similar for Uncooked pu-erh so I can be more precise with steepings.
Ever since Scott put the Wu Chi Dao cake up on eBay, I've been wanting one. The size of the leaf is remarkable! So I guess I've wanted it more for its visual aesthetic than gustation. Glad to hear a positive review of it.
I also bought some loose wild pu-erh leaves from Yunnan Sourcing which I found are lovely. They have a light taste with no bitterness and you can get a lot of cups out of them without much reduction in the taste of leaves.
I had some similar looking wild pu-erh leaves from another seller, but they weren't nearly as tasty so you can't go on looks alone, but these have become one of my favourite "everyday" teas.
Like yourself I am exploring Pu-erh teas at the moment. I had some aged (around 8 years) tea the other day but it wasn't very nice. Tasted like wood chips! (not from the same seller), while a younger (but still a few years old I gather based on its looks and dark brew) Pu-erh tea bought from a Chinese supermarket for a few dollars turned out to be much nicer and not as strongly "woody" in taste.
There are puerhs that are good and smooth for drinking now and ones that good for aging, seldom will you find both in the same tea. Typically, puerhs that are smooth and tasty while young are not the best candidates for aging. Most puerh wisdom says that good aging candidates will have a certain strength when young, this strength will be somewhat harsh when young and this harshness mellows with age. Smokiness will also generally subside with age. As for the Wood Smoked puerh I am not sure exactly what your question is. This is not a typical style that is known for aging potential, however you might enjoy it if you like smoky teas. If you like Lapsang Souchong then I would try this as a "drink it now" tea.
I was just checking that smoked Pu-erh is drinkable! I guess Lapsang Souchong has more of a smoky plum character than an overwhelming smokiness. I'll keep in mind about the tea that is good to keep, I have found a little on that at
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which was useful.
I am going to try some cooked pu-erh, but I am going to go for reasonably good quality - I've had some bad experience. Some very poor cooked Pu-erh at a local Chinese supermarket put me off it, it was just so astringent and sickening. I've had similar experiences with heavily baked Shui Xian which turned out to be false, so hopefully!
"I also bought some loose wild pu-erh leaves from Yunnan Sourcing which I found are lovely. They have a light taste with no bitterness and you can get a lot of cups out of them without much reduction in the taste of leaves."
Was this the tea from Yunnan Sourcing?
-------Yunnan Imperial Pu-erh tea - Menghai Best Grade * 500g------ C.
I am guessing it was "Premium Wild Tree Loose Leaf Raw Pu-erh Tea * 500 grams", but I am also not sure. Quite pricey too, $28 for 500g, I mean for raw Pu-erh of current year but they do look amazing.
Yes, it was Super Premium Loose Leaf Green wild tree Pu-Erh (125g) - Its a nice loose sun dried Pu-erh which tastes quite different to a lot of other teas I've tried, but I do like it.
Picture album that has pictures that accompany this review:
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Well I haven't actually reviewed it so I decided to review it from my rather inexperienced perspective (I know a lot about Oolong but not Pu-erh) using a 70ml teapot and some quantity of tea (filled half the teapot when wet). The beeng looks rather loosely compressed and it is, I managed to take quite a few leaves off the surface without too much trouble with a knife, the leaf grade is the same throughout. The leaves are very large, look like those loose leaves Kathy mentioned, the stalk wouldn't fit into my teapot so I removed them before steeping. I kept the leaves whole, I had to bend them into the teapot a bit with some water during the rinsing stage.
1st steep, 15s, pleasantly woody smokiness present but not overwhelming, astringent on the edges but the aroma is not really felt. Bitter rather than sweet.
2nd steep, 10s, same persistent smokiness, more persistent and an organic sweetness just starting.
3rd steep, 10s, I don't feel the smokiness as much as a sweetness and pleasant bitterness, I can still smell it quite well. Hear some very feint similarities can be drawn with real Zheng Shan Zhou Zhong (aka Lapsang Souchong).
4th steep, 10s, bitterness and quite profound, very pleasant smokiness on the tongue and the mouth, organic smells, very nice, even a little malty I would add.
5th steep, 15s, more aromatic, still smoky but not as noticeable, just a nice sweet feeling around the mouth and throat, very sweet and a little herbal a little medicinal. The color of the infusion is quite yellow and raw.
6th steep, 20s, smokiness is degraded, just sweetness and very smooth and calming.
7th steep, 40s, very smooth and creates a nice feeling in the mouth, weakened smokiness, and a very subtle sweet aroma of plums or something organic still persists and a nice aftertaste as expected. On analysis there is bitterness but its not noticeable.
8th steep, 70s, quite astringent and bitter but still smooth and a nice more bitter aftertaste with a mellower smoky flavour still with a touch of maltiness you feel with some red teas persisting at the back of the throat.
9th steep, 100s, the smell is a lot less smoky, flavour is more defined and still persistent.
10th steep, 120s, smokiness disappearing, a pleasant spicy fresh fruit like aroma creeps through, very mellow and pleasant still and almost no bitterness. Might have gone on to make a few more steeps.
Overall thoughts as a novice are that I like this tea, its smooth and a little smoky in a good way. Its quite interesting and it leaves your mouth feeling fresh without any unpleasant aftertaste. I really like this tea and the huge leaves are really quite nice.
The vendor that sells this tea is Yunnan Sourcing LLC, I am not sure anyone else sells it, but the links for their store is here
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and the tea is produced by the Mengku brand. According to Babelcarp "wu chi dao = Mengku township Pu'er factory, literally Five Feet [wide] Road (五尺道) after the ancient route linking Yunnan to the rest of China"
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and the vendor sells the 2004 version of this tea.
*****Well I haven't actually reviewed it so I decided to review it from my rather inexperienced perspective (I know a lot about Oolong but not Pu-erh) using a 70ml teapot and some quantity of tea (filled half the teapot when wet). The beeng looks rather loosely compressed and it is, I managed to take quite a few leaves off the surface without too much trouble with a knife, the leaf grade is the same throughout. The leaves are very large, look like those loose leaves Kathy mentioned, the stalk wouldn't fit into my teapot so I removed them before steeping. I kept the leaves whole, I had to bend them into the teapot a bit with some water during the rinsing stage.*******
thanks for the review - it was interesting to read. Sounds like a tea that's worth trying. The wild leaves I've been drinking are whole leaves that I let sit in the bottom of my tea cup at work (no fancy brewing methods there! - just hot water poured on top) They fill out to nice strong light green leaves with strong veins (like the ones in your pictures) with a light yellow liquor to the tea and will take re-filling the cup all day. The tea has a nice clean taste with this odd note to it that I can't describe that makes me keep coming back for more.
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