Maybe I have been a little too harsh on the 1975 Jin Gua Gong in my last post. Yesterday, during my class with Teaparker, we had the privilege to drink a 1975 Pu Er Zuan (Brick) made of tea buds, the young tea leaves. Same as the Jin Gua Gong.
He showed us that a number 7562 was printed on the back of the wrapping paper. However, he cautionned us again not to believe anything that is written on the wrappers.
The reason Teaparker is confident that his brick is from 1975 is because he purchased it in ...1984. At that time it tasted bitter and strange. Few people were drinking or even appretiating Pu Er in Taiwan. Now, as time passed, it's very round and mellow.
Why do I say I may have been too harsh? At first, me and the other students were not thrilled with this pu er. It had been brewed a little bit too light (by a student). Later, Teaparker let it brew for a longer period and it tasted stronger, but still not as strong as a wild pu er. It was much more a feeling of calm and we felt a nice tickle in the throat. Not even a concerto, but a solo by a maestro, like Miles Davis' "Time after Time". Teaparker told us that we drink wild pu erhs for their strength, but old pu erhs for their calm yun (aftertaste). They do require more concentration to be enjoyed. A level of concentration I rarely have nowadays. Maybe when I'm older, retired, living in the countryside. That will be a good time to enjoy aged pu er.
Maybe it is best to age your own. That way you will age and mellow together like old friends.
ReplyDeleteMy wife visited Hong Kong & Shenzhen on a business trip & return with three 7562 tea bricks for me as I have a little high blood pressure. I was told to boil water add a little pinch of tea cut off the brick add water slosh a little bit and toss it out to 'rinse' the tea. This was maybe 1 ounce of water. Then I filled the cup and drank it hot as I always do with Chinese tea. It was made three years ago and she said to keep it in it brick unopened for two of them and the open one in a plastic bag but DO NOT put in fridge. It will get better with age she told me. She is from Nanchang, Jiangxi and married me after coming to USA on a k-1 & k-2 visa (for her son). So she brought me a great gift and returned home to America safely and took me for dinner when she got back. My boy Xizi and myself were happy to see her back home here in lovely Florida. The tea is great !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRay C Hernando County Florida