pu-erh of the day. Sheng or Shou

having Crimson Lotus’ 2012 Bulang Gushu ripe, it’s really good and it ends up that I like ripe pu’erh. Thanks, Glen!

Oh help. This old lady’s system is all backed up. Where are those drain cleaner puerhs all the bloggers write about?? All my tea is too good for me…

Having a 2005 Menghai “7542” from fine Puerh. The Chairman insisted on this one. I haven’t been disappointed. 3 days 15 steeps still giving color in the cup. It was a little “light” in the first 3 steepings but has opened up nicely for the rest. It has been punchy, bitter and sweet in about all the steepings. No “mustiness” that I encountered in the “tight brick” from a few days ago. Nice feeling of calm and good huigan on this one. It has some whole leaf in this as well. Not all chopped plantation mix. The bad news is only 80 grams of this cake left from them. I am sad to say they are now out of stock.

Yunnan Sourcing sale on Ripe Puerh:
13% off all Ripe Pu-erh teas, both US and COM websites
—ENTER CODE: RIPE13
—until 6pm 10/12 Pacific Standard Time

I’m enjoying a 2010 Yi Bang sheng. It’s amazeballs. It’s got no bitterness, light astringency and a really lovely sweetness. I have a really nice buzz going, too!

I spent the morning with an elder member of the Menghai family – 2003 Menghai Wild Arbor Red Mark. At first, the wet leaves smell spicy and sweet; in later steepings, the aroma shifts to grains and honey. The taste conveys red berries, sweet wood, and a bit of grain. The tea offers hints of a calming qi and a cooling/tingling sensation moves through the body and I was left with a pleasant long-term aftertaste.

My day off today, so I celebrated by drinking 1992 Big Tao Hong Mark from white2tea followed by their 2000 “Chocolate” mini ripe puerh squares. Then I had a dinner of chicken legs flavored with smoky Hungarian paprika. I didn’t steep out any of my teas today, so I’ll just keep on brewing all evening. Posted some photos and a naughty Lu Yu tea pet on my blog cuz he likes his wet showers. Yes, he does.

This evening I drank 2011 Yunnan Sourcing “Man Tang Hong Gong Ting” Ripe Pu-erh.

It’s a cool , damp, & drizzly day, & it seemed like shu would be the perfect fit, & it is, although it I’d though it through I probably would have gone with sichuan caravan, or maybe some chai, but this is a really nice rich cup of sweet earth.

This has been a rough week for me. I broke a finger on wednesday & am having surgery to repair it on monday. There will be no harp playing for 4 – 6 weeks! I’ve been able to set up replacement harpists for the weddings I was supposed to do tomorrow & next saturday, but the other 3 performances had to be cancelled, because I’m the only jazz harpist around.
Financial losses for the next 10 days alone is abut $1000. I haven’t done the math for november yet, in part because I’m hoping for a miraculous healing, LOL.
Denial runs deep!
I’ve been through the 5 stages of grief several times in the last few days: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, & acceptance.
Life goes on.

I drank the 2009 Menghai Dayi Clouds cake tonight. It was incredibly good with virtually no fermentation flavor. Lots of complex notes in the mix as well.

And if people don’t already know, Yunnan Sourcing is having a 13% off sale on ripe puerh for about the next two days.

I’m in shou heaven, drinking a 2013 Temptation Menghai 100 Year cake. This one really has some interesting flavors and an incredible mouthfeel.

After this, I’ll be drinking some fungus tea (Fu Zhuan) which is another one of my new faves! Anyone ever try it? I know it’s not a pu, but it is an aged tea, so kind of in the same realm. :)