Thursday, January 10, 2008

1996 Chung-Cha. Menghai. "Orange-in-Orange."

This is my first aged puerh. The leaves were picked and pressed in 1996. Which makes this tea almost 12 years old.

The leaf is so dark that I would easily mistake it for a cooked "shou" puerh. Unlike shou, the smell is more dry and leathery, opposed to shou's musky, muddy, fruity smell.

The aroma of the leaf is very earthy, dark and dank, similar to a shou.

While smelling the tea, an old, dark leather comes to mind. As well as a musty bookcase, but the tea has just a hint of the mustiness. There is also a fruitiness present in the tea. Not a light yummy fruitness, but the tangy sweetness most fruits have.

The wet leaf smells strongly of dark leather, and wet bark.

The second infusion is sweeter, more mellowed out, with the strong leather flavor blending into the others to give an overall deepness of flavor. I get a hint of an old car in the smell, but overall, the flavor is extremely earthy.

The wet leaf has the light-dark brown color that is characteristic to black tea.

The third infusion is marvelous. All the stronger flavors noted earlier have blended to give a very well rounded drink. The strong leather flavor is no longer predominant, and the tea has become mostly a very earthy drink, with wet bark and dark, wet wood chracterizing the taste.

The wet leaf now smells more woodsy than leathery.

The fourth infusion is similar to the third, except perhaps lighter, or maybe wasn't given enough time, or maybe my taste buds are become saturated.
The fifth is milder as well. Smoother in the sense that it has less strong flavor.
The sixth, after being brewed for 2 minutes carries a heavier leather taste.

Too much tea. Need food.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

◄ Newer Post Older Post ►
These substances contained in tea is very easily oxidized. When the leaves are exposed to sunlight, the oxidation process occurs. The type of tea that is generally known in the community is a green tea, Oolong tea (such as Java tea Oolung / Ulung), black tea and white tea. Green tea contains the most helpful as in brewing, this tea is not dried using sunlight but use special drying techniques. While other types of tea are processed by fermentation.

Polyphenols
Polyphenols in tea such as catechins and flavanols. These compounds act as antioxidants to capture free radicals in the body are also effective in preventing the growth of cancer cells in the body. Free radicals in our bodies due to environmental air pollution and also from the food we eat.

Vitamin E
In one cup of tea contains vitamin E as much as about 100-200 IU a day which is a necessity for the human body. This amount serves to maintain heart health and make your skin smooth.

Vitamin C
This vitamin serves as an immunity or resistance to the human body. In addition, vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant necessary for the human body's resistance to disease.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A which is in the form of beta-carotene tea is a vitamin that the body needs can be met.