I sampled a couple of aged shengs so I am a bit familiar
with this group of teas and as more I drink it more I like it. On the other
hand, the area of aged oolongs is unknown for me and for some reasons I was
avoiding it. However there are a couple of reviews out there which encouraged
me to include a sample of this aged oolong into my last order from EoT.
The fragrance from the sample bag is very particular, I
never experienced something like this with other teas. It is heavy spicy
reminding things like mayonnaise and mustard mixing with the typical wu yi
frangrance. The leaves are in good shape, relatively long and unfragmented, but
fragile and delicate on touch.
I pack 5 grans into my new 60ml zisha.
The first rinse changes the scent of the leaves quite a bit
revealing a fragrance very similar to aged shengs with the creamy sweetness of
oolongs. The spicy character is still there but with lower intensity. The taste
is also unique but also reminds an aged sheng at some points; a mixture of
woody-nutty-spicy and sweet, very interesting. It is strong but without edges. The taste becomes prominent after the swallowing
and stays for long time. After the first couple of infusions I am very excited.
The taste is developing nicely and reaches the peak around the 4th
steep.
The qi is particular. I don’t know if it is uplifting or
calming but it is strong and slightly euphoric. I watched a few episodes of
the two and a half men during the later infusions and I was laughing on every
sketch like I am high. The last infusions are simpler and I would describe it
like a mixture of aged puerh with the roasted sweet taste of yancha. I have
done around 4-5 very long steeps at the end which still delivered pleasant soups.
It was a very nice experience to drink this tea and I was
thrilled after the firs session. As I was drinking it I remembered the “wow”
moments which I had when I first time tried high grade da hong pao or aged
sheng.
The next day I drunk some young sheng which was good but
somehow boring this time, showing me the difference in complexity of a young
and old tea.
And the conclusion is that I have to dig more deeply into the world of
aged oolongs.
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