Hello all,
First of all, I'd like to encourage everyone to do what they can to help the people of the gulf coast. As is so often the case with natural disasters, the people most effected are poor folks who couldn't get out in time. Many people are living in developing world/ refugee conditions. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are both taking donations.
Instapundit.com has compiled a list of links to charities.
Well, life in Minneapolis goes on. I was ecstatic today to receive my initiate shipment of puer from Jing Tea. My order: 1999 Menghai 7352 raw cake (350g), 98 Feng Qing raw tuo (100g), and a 95 Menghai Feng Cha (small square brick, 100g).
Naturally, I had to try them all consecutively. First up was the tuo. I was enchanted by the fragrance, evocative of a forest in autumn covered in morning dew on a chilly morning. It was easy to flake off a good amount with my fingers, which I proceeded to brew in my trusty glass gaiwan.
The liquor of the early infusions was a darkish amber color. The aroma was a mellower version of the one I encountered in the dry tuo, with a touch of moss. The flavour was definately and pleasently woody, with a typical camphor undertone. I savored the tingling feeling in the back of my throat. My girlfriend described it as "minty". Subsequent infusions revealed more sweetness.
Next up was the 99 beeng. The aroma of this cake had a more pronounced camphor element. I was able to coax a bit off the end with my fingers. The first infusion yielded a darker amber liquor. The flavor reminded me of another 99 Menghai cake I'd sampled- more agressive in the camphor flavor, yet without any bitterness and without the astringency of that other cake.
What delighted me most about this one was the complex, lingering sweetness that developed in the later infusions, together with a soothing presence in the mouth and throat.
Finally, I unveiled the feng. My first impression was a reluctance to deface this lovely piece. Chinese characters are imprinted on both sides. Upon sniffing it, I was reminded of something very famliliar- old cardboard boxes. Indeed, the brick was packaged in such a box. Peeking through the smell, however, was the mellow floral aroma of the cake.
The cake is extremely well compressed. I had to pry some off with a nut cracker. Once steeped, the tea began to reveal its complexity. The liquor was more reddish in color than the previous teas. The first infusion bore the cardboard smell fairly prominently, and there was a touch of mustyness to the flavour. Subsequent infusion became mellower, sweeter, and very complex. I especially noticed a ripe lichee flavor and aroma in the third infusion, while the fourth gave forth the smell of green plantains.
To conclude I'd like to offer some insights to other newbies looking to exlore puer further, and to those who have not tried any puer or raw pu and are wondering if they'll like it. You should consider if you like aged scotch wiskey, or any other alcoholic beverage aged in oak. The flavors I've encountered here are reminiscent of other aged beverages in their woody aroma and mouth filling texture.
Overall, I'm very pleased with my order. I owe Mike and Sebastien my gratitude for their advice in making these selections. I'm sure to enjoy them for months to come.
Nico