This was probably the oldest black tea I have ever drunk. It had been aged in Beijing (dry climate) for more than 12 years and acquired a distinctive earthy flavour that I’d associate with pu-erh tea. It also had a beautiful hui gan (the sweet taste that lingers on your tongue after sipping a tea).
I was offered this tea at ChaYungu (a tea house in Beijing), and it was made for them in 2008 to order. The leaves and buds came from an ancient tea that was around 400 years old. This is why this tea has the ‘gushu’ name. It is also a Shai Hong meaning that the tea was not baked, unlike many black teas. Instead, it went through a long process of ‘sun drying’. The marvellous tea master Charlotte from ChaYungu tells me that this tea tastes warm and carries the taste of sunshine. Actually, it does leave you with a warming sensation, and another good quality of this tea is that you can age it and steep it multiple times.
I really enjoyed drinking this tea. It is not possible to encounter special aged tea every time, so I appreciate it very much.
Tea profile:
Type: Black
Origin: Menghai, Yunnan
Harvest time: 2008
Leaf colour: Tones of dark brown with some golden tips
Liquor colour: Amber
Tea aroma: Fruity and woody
Tea taste: Sweet with fruity, earth and woody undernotes
Steeping/brewing: Place 6 g of this tea in a porcelain gaiwan and add about 100 ml water at around 90°C. Rinse after 5 sec. Steep for 10 seconds for the second time and increase the consecutive steeping time by 10 seconds. You can steep this tea multiple times. Shelf-life: Can be aged.
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