After several good-to-very-good cakes from Chawangshop, I suppose it is only fair to make few notes about cakes/bricks which were not overly interesting or which I did not enjoy. I should note that I have particular problem with wet stored sheng - some of the "too wet for me" may be perfectly enjoyable for others...
Yaga on my old tea tray does not like wet stored cakes either (however, she obviously enjoys young Yi Wu tea - I once went away from tea tray and when I came back, my tea was gone).
2003 You Le Round Cake:
Let us start with the best one of the lot: http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/pu-erh-tea/raw-sheng-puerh/2004-youle-mountain-round-tea-raw-400g.html
This is probably as wet as a cake may get and still be enjoyed by me. The Xishuanbanna experience is obvious here. However, several years in dry environment were quite helpful. Due to fast aging, the cake is already very smooth, sweet, not hollow or boring. And, which is particularly important to me, it still may be guessed that it comes from Youle - the character is present. Wetter storage is noticeable, but not particularly unpleasant - I am just much more used to more drily stored tea. I'd say this tea is very enjoyable, given the price, but as I have/may buy better You Le, I won't be buying more of this.
2004 Man Zhuan Chawang
This is a very solid Yi Wu cake. However, given the price, I would expect slightly more. It is one of few pre-2005 Yi Wu cakes I've had which has kept its original character. It tastes like forest fruit and honey - it is generally rather good. Certain younger cakes (YS Purple Yi Wu, some Yong Pin Hao) offer similar character for less money though. This one offers more punchy mouthfeel maybe. First few years of wetter storage have kicked this cake in a pleasant direction.
2003 Jinggu Bai Long Jia Ji
This is a solid, hearty cake. It is still too young, needs more time. It has strenght, it is bitter, I failed to find any really pleasant aspects of it... It is too different from 2003 Jinggu Bai Long Te Ji to be compared.
2002 Yi Bang Chawang
This one is not available anymore. Too wet for me, I can drink it, but not enjoy it really. However, it is definitely a matter of preference - a friend of mine who is more used to wetter-stored tea said he did enjoy this very much.
2002 Mengma
This is a very unusual tea. It is probably more smoky than smoking smoke elemental. Too much for me, it made my stomach quite upset. I think this is love/hate thingy - it is definitely interesting and powerful, no wetness present, but we did not harmonize really...
2003 Mangsi Delan
Too wet... Several rinses did help to make it almost drinkable. It tastes like muddy forest floor. If it was a bit cleaner, it would be good; I have to wait and air it out. Sadly, I don't feel like chewing humus right now.
1999 Menghai
I'll probably sound like nothing is good enough for me... but this is too drily stored for me. However, a lot of original character is still present. The material is obviously not bad (it would not get to the current stage otherwise). It is just not interesting enough. Yet... The price is very low for tea of such age. Since my experience with such a dry tea is very limited, I am unable of telling whether this is really 99 tea or younger.
29/1/2012
2002 Gedeng Chawang Yuan
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/2002-gedeng-cha-wang-yuan-cha-raw-puerh-cake-400g.html
Although also a bit wetter than I'd prefer, shicang is not overwhelming, from 3rd or so brew, the tea is rather interesting and pleasant. Easily drinkable, nice enough mouthfeel.
29/1/2012
2002 Gedeng Chawang Yuan
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/2002-gedeng-cha-wang-yuan-cha-raw-puerh-cake-400g.html
Although also a bit wetter than I'd prefer, shicang is not overwhelming, from 3rd or so brew, the tea is rather interesting and pleasant. Easily drinkable, nice enough mouthfeel.
Yaga is such a pretty cat! My girl just wrinkles her nose and walks away.
OdpovědětVymazatSounds like you've had quite a lot of samplings with the pu-erh teas from this establishment. Which has been your favourite so far?
Hi!
OdpovědětVymazatYaga says thanks!
I think that my¨recent favourite has been the 2005 Menghai Gu Cha as it is so good and cheap.
2005 Fu Cha Ju with tea flowers is fiendishly good - the petals emphasize the taste of honey and flowers and generally compliment the material very well.
Their Jinuoshan TF cakes are generally very good (the Jinuoshan 2004 You Le I've had from the owner of the store is one of best teas I've had - now, a slightly different batch is available, I haven't tasted it)
They also have Xiaguan Jia Ji 2003, which is rather famous, I haven't had it from them though.
Outside puerh, their 2008 Tie Guan Yin is lovely.
Generally, I'm pretty happy about samples/cakes I bought from Chawang...
Jakub
Have you tried any really aged puerh. Maybe Aged tea is not your thing. If your not into chewing humus it might not be.
OdpovědětVymazatGN
Hello,
OdpovědětVymazatI've had teas from 90s which were much drier stored (not too much though) and much more balanced and pleasant. I think that cakes with which I had problem here lacked the character of their origin.
Anyway, package with samples is on its way from Essence of tea and I plan to invest into 70s and 80s sheng more to widen my view on aged sheng. I'll surely write about these.
Jakub