Lao Shu Sheng Pu’er 2008

Tasting notes from 2019

It’s fun keeping your tasting notes over the years. Have a peek at the original 2014 notes. Remember how I said this tea was going to improve as the years went by? Well, I hate to toot my own horn, but I was right! The session started off with the dry leaf aroma as usual. Now, instead of notes of stable, the tea presents a more smokey nose, with hints of fruitiness and a mild hickory wood aroma. It made me think of BBQ, but that’s not quite the right aroma descriptor. We brewed up a gorgeous golden-orange liquor that gave off a very subtle, almost undetectable woodiness. There was however nothing subtle about the first sip. The liquor was instantly velvety in the mouth, thick with the years gone by, the smokiness manifested with an initial bite that led to a gorgeously refreshing and rapidly ensuing after sweet! That was the first sip. This situation simply improved as we made our way through many infusions, refilling the kettle repeatedly. Take a moment with this tea and enjoy the slightly floral aroma that graces the gaiwan lid. Smell the slightly smokey/barnyard aroma of the brewed leaf. This is a tea to enjoy in every aspect.

Tasting notes from 2016

This Sheng Pu’er is a delightful drink and for those who are familiar with being slapped around by an ‘aggressive’ sheng, this one will treat you like a lady (or gentleman). The bing gives off a dry, sweet, date note, but once the leaf is in a humid gaiwan we detect notes of animal/stable. The aroma of the golden liquor is reserved with only hints of smoke which become more obvious in the sip, which is incredibly smooth and integrates fire/smoke, vegetable/asparagus, sweet/malt and fruit/date. All so blended and mingled that the tea takes on a delicious flavour of its own. Whether you are a longtime fan of Sheng Pu’er or looking for a good intro this tea is a perfect fit.

Tasting notes from 2014

While this sheng pu’er is ready to enjoy, it is also going to continue to improve as the years go by. The orange liquor delivers a solid smokey nose with a hint of peat which can be rendered into the liquor if you steep it slightly longer (whiskey pairing anyone?) However if you prefer to keep the smoke out of the liquor (the tea liquor, focus!), our lighter infusions were absent of smoke, but had a bright tangy flavour. Both the short and the slightly longer infusions had a wonderful clean and fresh mouth-feel that left us refreshed and ready for more. The wet leaves have an interesting scent of cigarette tobacco whereas the gaiwan lid was cleaner, and a somehow familiar smell, but I can’t quite place it. For me the gaiwan lid was almost the most intriguing part of the experience.