2001 Shuangjiang Mengku "Yuanyexiang" Gancang

With copious thanks to the Board of Trustees of the Davelcorp Foundation:




Is Dave using Mike's envelopes, or is Mike using Dave's? Perhaps the limited comprehension of mortal man was never meant to know the answers to some of Nature's most profound questions.

Recalling the previous thick-paper shicang [wet storehouse] version of this cake, this is the thin-papered gancang [dry storehouse] version. In the previous tasting, we found mintiness, tobacco, and a very medicinal, cooling character. The shicang leaves were "chopped and bitty".

An interesting experience in the comparison between the less-obvious results of different storage methods (upon similar leaves), we found it a fascinating session.

Caledonian Springs @ 100C in 12cl shengpu pot; ~7-8g leaf; 1 rinse

Dry leaves:
Dark, but more colourful than the shicang: green, yellow, and silver tips, with chocolate-brown additive leaves. Most leaves are, as before, small and fragmented.

The deep mushroom aroma has a hint of shicang about it, oddly enough, and a sweet tobacco scent that makes me breath easily. The rinse smells delicious.

4s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 10s, 12s, 20s, 26s, 40s, 60s:
I settle in for a long session with "The Importance of Living", by Lin Yutang - a long-time favourite of Lei's, and now becoming one of my own. There is nothing new under the sun, so they say, and much of what I believe about the world seems to have been experienced by Lin in equal measure; in his classic book, it is described with that understated charm and intelligence that many generations of readers have loved.

His thoughts on enjoying tea with others, and the unsuitability of some types of characters for tea, are perceptive, and something that I would like to discuss another time.

The soup is thick and orange. It is fairly tippy to begin with, as its cousin, which begins to subside to normal soup as the infusions wear on. This is a tea with character, it has something to say.

The beidixiang is a rich treacle, with tangible vanilla notes which were hidden in the shicang bing by the damp aroma. It leads into a long lengxiang of sweet darkness. From the aroma, I anticipate rich flavours.

The result is unexpected: it is light and high - the same tobacco-and-treacle as the aroma - but also tangy. A lively ku runs through the centre of it from lips to throat, promoting a fine huigan.

Vibrant, tasty, strong - this tea appeals to me very much.

The third infusion takes a turn for the more medicinal, as the inner characteristics of the leaves begin to exert themselves. Again, the cooling sensation comes over me.

The hulu [gourd-filter] is piling up with sediment - though the soup is clean, there are many particles thankfully large enough not to make it through to the gongdaobei. Like Lin Yutang, I enjoy the aesthetic, and a soup filled with gunge doesn't really thrill me as much as the pure colour of the soup I see before me today.

Drinking tea brings me back to myself. To my breath, to my posture. To the distant tree-tops talking silently with the wind outside the lounge window. It may take an hour or two, but eventually I come back to myself, and the myriad concerns of the day drift away for the duration of the session. Drinking tea has become an integral part of my day, of my person. There is only one instant in this life, and it lasts forever.

cold summer day -
qingchan hot with tea
and swirling steam

Hours later, I have returned from collecting Lei from her laboratory, by way of a cafe and an ice-cream shop. She has joined this tea during its closing brews. "Distinctive and penetrating scent; a clean finish".

Even after ten infusions, the body is smooth, the character remains robust, and it could continue yet further.

Wet leaves:
Chopped, but healthy.

Overall:
What a fine tea. That it seems unavailable after the typically over-generous quantities provide by DL is one of life's little pities, but perhaps that makes its enjoyment all the sweeter.

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Addendum
September, 2009

This tea currently sells for approximately $1bn, so I was highly appreciative for a sample from KC.

The leaves are as dark and clean as ever.

The thick-papered version of this tea currently sells for $30 on Taobao, and I believe that Western vendors made out very well from the craziness that temporarily surrounded this cake for a while, a few years ago.

As shown below, the soup turns out to be a clean, wooden orange.

The interesting (almost Lincang) flavour of this cake condenses with the kuwei [pleasant bitterness] in the throat to give a cough-lozenge effect, with a tiny trace of sourness.  It is an unusual flavour to come across in somewhat-matured pu'er.

This tea is as enjoyable as ever, but it is not a masterpiece.  I can see why the shicang [wet-stored] version exists, because it can turn into simple emptiness where one would hope that it would develop into something complex and fine.  In fact, at $30, the shicang version is a bit of a steal on Taobao.  KJC and I have a few test cakes on order, and we will update you with our progress.  "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"