After some 200 odd posts, I came to the point that I no longer recall the details of all the teas I have reviewed. I remembered that I reviewed a sheng pu-erh from Naka and it was from 2019.
This one is also from Naka, and it was harvested last year too. However, these two sheng pu-erhs gave me very different experiences. The first one was very bitter. I remember discarding the second steeping as I found it almost undrinkable. Naka teas are known to be bitter so I continued steeping and from the third steeping onwards, the taste improved, but an element of bitterness remained. For this one, a pleasant floral aroma prevailed the bitterness from the dry leaves to the emptied teacup. The infused leaves were terrific (with minimum breakage), soft as silk and shiny. Their aroma was earthier and more vegetal and less floral. I could almost mistake this tea for fresh green tea. The taste started smooth, ended slightly astringent with a noticeable honey sweetness and a “hui gan”. I wonder if the sweetness of this tea can be attributed to it being a gushu (made out of 200 years old tea trees or older).
I’m pleased with this tea, and I am happy I have a little bit more of it. I think this will become a treasure in 10 years or so. Cannot wait!
Tea Profile:
Type: Dark (Pu-erh)
Origin: Naka, MengHai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
Harvest time: 2019
Leave colour: Tones of dark green and brown with shiny golden tips
Liquor colour: Golden yellow
Tea aroma: Perfumed floral notes on dry leaves and empty cup; eathy and vegetal notes on infused leaves
Tea taste: Mellow, balanced between astringency and sweetness with floral freshness and high qi
Steeping/brewing: Place 5 g in 100 ml gaiwan and add water at around 95°C. Rinse the first infusion after ten seconds. Steep for 15 seconds for the second infusion, from the add an additional 5 seconds to each subsequent infusion. You can infuse it many times, until the taste is lost.
Shelf life: Up to 30 years and possibly more