2007 Nan Zhao "Dali Tuo" Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuo Cha

Summary first: great aged tuo, with lots of deep and complex aged flavour, good cha qi, and just a great bargain for the price/quality ratio. Will purchase again, and likely get a few more to age. If you're interested I'm going to post my full tasting notes below (^_^).

My brewing parameters were 10.2g; 135ml Steam Kiln Porcelain pot, 100˚C; gongfu style.

Tasting:

Heated Dry Leaf (in pot) aroma: Deep and complex honey and liqueur aroma; dried jujube and longan, dark jammy aroma like fruit leather

Wet leaf aroma (post rinse): It has a really unique aroma that I can only conceptualize as an ancient barracks aroma, like clean sweat and humidity with leather and dried medicinal herbs, complex with a little wet storage dankness (but all of these were highly pleasant aromas)

1st Infusion: Potent! Great, and quite bracing aged Sheng flavour - it just has that kick of potent shenginess that I am not sure how else to describe. Almost the sensation just after having had a shot of a sweet liqueur where the perfume overwhelms your entire palate. Flavours of mild smokiness, welcome and pleasant bitterness, and temple incense.

Liquor: Dark yellow-green; thick, oily, unctuous mouthfeel.

2nd Infusion: Very warm woodiness, incense, smoke present but receding, has a bit of an amber honey flavour but not yet sweetness.

3rd: Umami, mild smoke - almost dissipated, complex dankness in the flavour - you can taste a bit of humidity from storage in a good way. Sweetness begins to show, and there is the feeling of the complexity of a chinese medicine shop but in flavour not aroma.

4th: Pleasant verdant bitterness comes through, hui gan really begins in stride, strong honey feeling and flavour at the back of the throat.

5th: Really beginning to feel the Cha Qi, flavour complexity subsides some in favour of a verdant sweetness

6th: Tasty, sweet, flavour complexity has peaked but the remaining sweetness is very nice and strong; Cha Qi is really hitting now and I feel full of energy.

7,8,9 were all similar to 6, and I stopped after the 9th infusion but I have the feeling I could have boiled it on the stove to finish, but the cha qi left me quite hungry so I broke for lunch.

Really enjoyable tea.