2007 Menghai Feet of Crab Pu-erh Tea (Year of Green Puerh)

Yunnan Crab's Leg Pu-erh Tea (勐海螃蟹脚茶饼)
Year of Green Puerh tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

There is a special plant that grows on the ancient tea tree called Crab Legs or Feet of Crab, since its shape of the stems looks like a crab’s legs. Another name of this plant is known as Unicorn Grass. It is claimed that it has many health benefits, for example, get rid of poisons, strength the body, thin the blood and reduce high blood pressure. This cake is made by mixing some feet of crabs with premium Menghai tea leaves. Most feet of crab tea cakes are just spreading a layer of Crab Legs on the surface of the cake to cut the cost, this cake, however, is tightly compressed with the Crab Legs inside out. The Crab Leg by itself is expensive.

This is a great value at current price. Highly recommended to Pu-erh tea collectors.

• Green Pu-erh Tea
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Special-Reserve
• Model: Feet of crab - 4688
• Manufactured by: Chuncheng Tea Factory

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

5th Infusion - 30sec

6th Infusion - 20sec

7th Infusion - 30sec

8th Infusion - 60sec

Im not really sure where to start with this one. The color of the soup was orange golder color, with a mild floral scent.

The taste of this sheng is very very young. What I mean by that is that it is very potent. The astringency or bitterness has blown the roof off. The aftertaste is the same, just alot of bitterness.

I am not sure if I put too much in. I covered about 1/4 of the gaiwan, but after my last serving, the gaiwan was up to the brim with leaves.

Qi - I broke a slight sweat, and had that same drawn back feeling. More like when your lost in the moment, but mellowed out.

By the time I got to my 8th serving, I have had enought of that powerful bitterness and was ready to throw it all away. But I know that wouldn't be right, it just needs some time to age.

I am going to try this again in a few years and hopefully that bitterness will have left the building.

Rating: 5/10

2007 Old Banzhang Arbor Pu-erh Tea (Year of Green Puerh)

Yunnan Pu-erh Tea (老班章乔木生饼)
Year of Green Puerh tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

This cake is made by using 2007 Spring materials. The naturely tea leaves with large portion of tips and buds are plucked, panned and kneaded, sun-dried in an open field, and then steamed, finally compressed into a fine tea cake all by hand.

You might say, another 'Old Banzhang', also 'Arbor' (Qiao Mu)? It cannt be good if it sells at such a low price! Our take on this cake is that it was mis-labeled and exaggerated by a small tea factory. For its price, it is truly a bargain, considering our sinking dollar and uprising inflation. A tea is a tea, how bad it can get. You may even like it.

• Green Pu-erh Tea
  
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Medium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Manufactured by: Yunnan Shiyuan Tea Factory
• Model: Old Banzhang Arbor - 4368
  

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

The scent of the wet leaves had a floral/honey mixture. This time I did get a hint of what I thought was melon.

There was some bitterness with this tea. Tasted like a TKY x 3, with a less buttery taste. Nice and smooth flowing through my mouth. The aftertaste was the usual, young sheng bitter but nice.

The color was a nice golden amber as you can see in the picture.

Qi = There was slight tingling and zoning out, with a warmth sensation in my chest. Slight perspiration.

This was a nice experience in whole. Put on some relaxing music and sip this stuff and you will be mellowed out.

This cake is available now for $11.20 from the Puershop. Not a bad deal, I think I might have to pick this one up.

Rating: 7.5/10

2007 Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea (Pride of Menghai)

Yunnan Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

This cake is a QS certified Green product made by Nanqiao Tea Factory, a tea factory located in Menghai, Xishuangbanna. As a batch # 701 product it uses 2007 early Spring raw material with a real nice floral smell, and the aroma was very soothing. It had variable hints of honey, floral, fresh grass and the slightest melon.

It is a Gold award winner in Chengdu like Nanqiao 753, some believes that it would become a prized collectable.

• Manufactured by: Nanqiao Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Model: Nanqiao Menghai Jewel - 217

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

The aroma coming off the wet leaves has a nice scent of floral, hint of sweet honey, and I got nothing of melon.

The first sip hit me with bitterness, and a strong flow. The liquid has a potent aftertaste while swallowing. Left a lingering peppery buttery taste on my tongue way after finishing the last cup.

The color was a beautiful golden liquor.

There were no "qi" effects for this puerh.

This is a 2007 puerh and has the potential to be something big a few years down the road. For right now, I am going to put this one on the shelf and age a bit.

Rating: 6/10

2007 Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop
Yunnan Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea (布郎春尖生饼)

Puerhshop description:

This cake is made by using 2007 Spring materials. The naturely tea leaves (mostly buds and tips) are plucked, panned and kneaded, sun-dried in an open field, and then steamed, finally compressed into a fine tea cake.

It brews a golden liquor with refreshing floral scent, a great starter tea cake because of its value. It beats drinking a green tea!

• Manufactured by: Yunnan Shiyuan Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 20sec

This sheng is probably the best I have had so far. The leaves after the 1st infusion had a hint of honey and flowers. There was barely any bitterness with this one. Has a very smooth finish to it.

Qi - This tea had a nice mellow sensation. No tingling or spacing out.

The soup has a very nice golden amber color.

Rating: 7.75/10

2007 Rongzhen Imperial Concubine Aromatic Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

Early Spring silver buds from one special field (only) in Xishuangbanna are plucked, sun-dried and then compressed into this cake form. Most leaves harvested from this particular field are buds and so have a UNIQUE honey sweetish and very strong floral flavor with little bitterness. An excellent Pu-erh to drink now but can be drunk over the course of the next years with subtle changes in aroma and flavor.

A tea cake that most girls/women love to brew and drink. Most green Pu-erh requires at least 8 to 10 years of aging for its mellow and sweet taste to develop, this tea cake is prime for drinking now.

Update on May 13th. Above taste notes were written when the tea was just arrived. Apparently this tea is in its worst state into the aging. Guess we have to wait patiently for a while before this tea becomes good again, let Nature do its wonders.

• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Special-Reserve
• Manufactured by: Rongzhen Tea Factory
• Concubine Aromatic - 5018

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

This puerh reminded me of a TKY I had a little bit ago. It tasted a tad bitter , with a somewhat buttery aftertaste. This is a smooth sheng, and if you are a fan of TKY, then I would recommend this to you. The "qi" of this tea gave me a slight tingling sensation throughout my body for a few minutes.

Rating: 6.75/10