Rainy day and aged puerh

I had hoped for sunshine. Instead, the heaviest rain of the season was upon me on that morning, a couple of weeks ago. The walk with all my tea stuff and umbrella under such a downpour was a little nightmare. What a terrible start for a tea session outdoors with a friend, I thought.
I was so wrong.

 I had chosen to brew this mid 1980s loose raw puerh. And I returned to one of my favorite spot at the Lin Family Garden of Banciao.

The bad weather meant fewer visitors and we had the spot almost to ourselves!

The dark mood of the rain was balanced by the bright light, and we fought the cold air with a warm, sweet and energetic tea. Brewed in a late Qing Yixing zisha teapot, the puerh had even more depth and a smooth taste. The last drops of that first brew were so intense, but still very much enjoyable! They were activating a fire in our belly!

 The open leaves are nicely dark brown, but open up well.

I'll soon write about Teaparker's new book about tea pairing (tea and food). But it's not because you're not eating that you are not pairing your tea! Every time you choose a tea, you are trying to pair it with your mood, with the weather, the season (or the music you're listening to...) A good pairing means you must know your teas and how they influence your mood. Here, I tried to express the beauty of nature within a dark mood (see the black Chabu). And it worked harmoniously, beautifully...