After the Interview

sitting in zazen

slowly breathing out

after the interview

Summer Wulong, and the 2001 Jinchanghao "Yiwu"

The summers seem to be a lot hotter of late, which means that we have been drinking lots of lucha (Xinyang Maojian, mostly) and plenty of wulong, primarily qingxiang [green scent; i.e., not heavily roasted]. 

I usually consider Teamasters productions to be the most reliable, of which M. Erler's Dayuling has been by far my favourite for many years.  I was delighted to see Houde stocking tea from this area a few seasons ago, and this summer, I have been drinking a similar product from Essence of Tea.  The latter came in both qingxiang and nongxiang varieties, and were as good as I remember those from Teamasters.  When the sun is high, you would have to try very hard to beat the buttery sweetness of Dayuling.

Funnily enough, we have a honeysuckle bush growing along the fence outside our conservatory which has precisely the same aroma as both teas...

Small- and medium-sized leaves

The Jinchanghao sample pictured above also comes from Essence of Tea, where the whole cake costs £75.  I must admit that I don't usually buy tea at that price, and have done so on only a few occassions (such as the exceedingly friendly 1997 Henlichang "Bulang").  Hence, I tend to stick to younger cakes, with the ever-optimistic hope that they will grow pleasant under my care.  However, it's enjoyable to try samples of the more aged cakes, in order to educate the tongue a little, and, primarily, to enjoy some beautiful tea.

It is a clean orange, as may be seen below, and has an encouragingly long, sweet aroma.  It is well-oxidised (presumably through aging), and is sweet, clean, and heavy in the mouth.  Shengpu of this age tend to remind me of various types of wood, and this reminds me of rosewood: sweet, sharp, clean.

It is a touch to dainty and elegant for my tastes, which tend towards the beefy and robust, but it was a pleasure.  Its bright, refreshingly energetic character fits rather well to a day that promises yet more blistering sunshine...

2003 Shuangxiong "Jinzhen Gongpu"

It is a period of annual leave for me, which finds me using the time to perform house renovations in preparation for the arrival of our son in September. "There never seems to be enough time to do all the nothing you want", as Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes once lamented.

I take some time out of my battling with doors and chimneys to enjoy this cake, kindly provided by Keng.

Double the heroism

Shuangxiong [shwang-shyong] means "Double Hero"; they are based in Yongde, out in Lincang, which makes them "remote".  I like outliers.

As the wrapper suggested, pictured above, 2,000 kg of this tea was produced - making 800 tong, one of which now rests on our shelf, thanks to Keng.

The wrapper also suggests that this cake was selected for a tea competition, though, as Lei notes, "This could mean anything - Chinese people are very good at keeping such statements vague, in order to convey a good impression."

Small, dark leaves - the tips are turning a proper rusty colour

Shown below, the soup is a decent yellow-orange, the kind of colour that one could imagine came from gently maturing on a shelf somewhere. I appreciate its thickness, and its sharp, pinewood character.  The remaining presence of kuwei [bitter flavour] is highly enjoyable, combined with its "adolescent" nature.  In terms of pu'er enjoyment, this is approximately just about right for me: woody, yet still bitter.

This is a clean, well-made tea that balances content and power nicely, while enduring longer than my appetite.  

It came up in a comparative tasting in the Chinese version of the "Art of Tea" magazine, where Mr. Fisher noted that he enjoyed most of all the field, but also that none of the field were really particularly excellent.  

Time has been kind to this cake, and my feelings towards it are seemingly more positive than those of Mr. Fisher - I would rate this as being a "very good" cake, rather than being close to average.  Perhaps I am swayed by the relative unavailability of good seven-year-old tea, but I found it tasty and enjoyable.

A great way to break up a hard day of house-work...

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Addendum
June, 2015

I have a tong + one cake from this "Double Hero" cake.  It seems that I last drank this cake five years ago, while waiting for the arrival of our eldest son, Xiaohu.  He is now awaiting the arrival of his first term at school!

The flavour of the tea is warm, malted, and rather like sultanas.  It is a vivid and powerful tea, which wakes me from my half-slumbers.  While not complex, there is an enduring huigan that remains most enjoyable.

A scent from the wenxiangbei captures my attention: it is dense, long-lasting, and caramelised.  The scent alone is "big".  I am beginning to understand why I opted to buy a substantial quantity of this tea, back in 2010.

The Shuangxiong cake is stable, heavy, and especially good fun.  I am left feeling warm, as if reunited with an old friend.