úterý 7. května 2013

2003 Menghai Dayi Nannuo

This is the first of the juicy-looking samples I tasted from Tony of Origintea. As I have the Wistaria's Zi Yin Nannuo in fond memory, I decided I'd start with another Nannuo tea.


The leaves are large, fairly light with occasional green and they smell quite nicely.

After being rinsed, the leaves emit several layers of aroma - first, when they are warm, they smell like one herb, the name of which I can't recall, but the similarity is striking. Then, there is dark fruitiness and a sort of metallic taste. It is light and maybe not too complex overall, but nice. As opposed to many teas from Nannuo, there is almost no leatheriness.


The liquor is very light for a 2003 tea, which is a result of dry storage, but, luckily, not too dry one. In mouth, the tea is quite thick, decently sweet, wide and starts smooth. It starts with taste of dark fruit of a sort - I realize it's very close to frequent Nannuo leatheriness, but due to subtle changes in the "taste vector", it comes out as fruit. 

Unfortunately, the tea gets worse after a while (5-6 steepings?); its astringency gets quite unpleasant and the fruitiness gives way to taste of sweet mushrooms (it's not that awful taste as it sounds, but it's not particularly great either). Some tones of "what could become honey" are there.

Activity in mouth and qi are on the weak side, in my opinion.

Overall, the tea maybe left me a bit underwhelmed or unfulfilled. It starts "all right" and then becomes "hmmm, I may finish it along reading a book". I think it's basically too young now and probably not in its best years. Were it to acquire additional richness and fullness of body via more humid aging, it could get better, I guess. However, its relative simplicity and one-dimensionality (to an extent) could be problematic even in further aging.

A good experience to taste it, yes; but not really a bargain I think.

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