China Menghai Ripe Puerh 2012

This China Menghai ripe puerh 2012 bing cha is made from a blend of Spring and Autumn “super grade” Big-leaf Sun-dried green hair tea leaves from tea trees at an altitude of 535 to 1700m in the Menghai region of Yunnan Province, China.

Manufactured by the Menghai Langhe Tea Industry Co., Ltd dated May 16 2012.

Initial tasting notes at 3gms for 5 minutes:
Purple liquor with upfront flavour. A nice cooling mouth feel. Silky viscosity which dissipates quickly off the tongue. Intriguing and perhaps still young.

Gongfu cha notes at 10gms in a 190ml Yixing teapot:

1st infusion 30 secs: Initial aroma reminds me of the smell of the rubber of a bicycle tyre when you have to fix a puncture! Taste is earthy and quite mushroom soupy. Liquor is silky smooth with some viscosity starting. Clean and clear. Didn’t note any purpleness as in the initial tasting though. No bitterness or tannins.

2nd infusion 45 secs: Liquor darker as you would expect and the silky smoothness continues. The flavour stays for a short while and then dissipates as the coolness in the mouth starts to occur. Very easy to drink and a nice warming body sensation starting to occur.

3rd infusion 1 min, 30 secs: No change in the strength of the flavours. They don’t linger though. But the coolness in the mouth is strong. Nice cha qi effect coming on.

Available in 25gm pouches and 357 cake

Recommended Infusion instructions:
Boiling but not boiled water (100 degrees Celsius – fish eyes bubble size, see Tea Making for more info)
6-8gms of tea leaves to 150ml gaiwan/clay teapot
You can do a rinse but I don’t as I find with most teas, the first infusion is the most revealing.
Infusions 1 to 3: 10-15 seconds
Infusions 4 to 6: 15-20 seconds
Infusions 7+: 20 – 30 seconds