Even though I planned to hang up my blogging hat for 2015, my tea life got a spectacular boost today and it would be most selfish of me not to share my tea learning. I was the unfathomably lucky recipient of a package of aged teas including a liu bao from 1930's. Nineteen thirties. From whence did such a magical package arrive?
Most tea readers know the legend of Su- a true tea connoisseur who has been devoted to puerh for multiple decades. Unlike you or me or even MarshalN or Hobbes- she has actually tended her sheng beengs into full maturity in the favorable climes of Malaysia. She knows aging intimately and deeply in a way I yearn to but I will never catch up to. No matter. I'm utterly moved that Su wants to help me further my understanding of aging through teas that are not available to me.
This early 90s Qing Bing is a hefty chunk so I have many chances to brew it and even save for aging. Su's generosity makes me blush but I'm giddily joyous she deems me worthy.
First sniff, I'm seduced by the sweet sweet fragrance of dried plums of the dried leaf. I'll probably sniff this every night. When I taste incense and cedar in the brews, I'm transported back to the time I visited Bulguksa temple and all my current worries drop off.
Most tea readers know the legend of Su- a true tea connoisseur who has been devoted to puerh for multiple decades. Unlike you or me or even MarshalN or Hobbes- she has actually tended her sheng beengs into full maturity in the favorable climes of Malaysia. She knows aging intimately and deeply in a way I yearn to but I will never catch up to. No matter. I'm utterly moved that Su wants to help me further my understanding of aging through teas that are not available to me.
This early 90s Qing Bing is a hefty chunk so I have many chances to brew it and even save for aging. Su's generosity makes me blush but I'm giddily joyous she deems me worthy.
First sniff, I'm seduced by the sweet sweet fragrance of dried plums of the dried leaf. I'll probably sniff this every night. When I taste incense and cedar in the brews, I'm transported back to the time I visited Bulguksa temple and all my current worries drop off.
Su said this tea was strong and bitter when young and with the incense "jiang xiang" being more in the background. Su casually tells me this Qing Bing will be a lot better in a couple decades. The tea has a golden mouthfeel, and I'm more than happy to enjoy this tea as it is now.
After the session I started feeling sorry for my other teas. I've read many reviewers state recently that '90s $100-$200 wet stored cakes are worth getting as being easy to drink now. I've had those samples and after this Qing Bing, I really don't want to bother. I don't want to go back to traditional storage or Kunming dry storage- this Malaysian dry storage is a lovely thing to behold. Su tells me this is "just a Qing Bing", that if I tried the Haoji and Mark series teas, I'll be spoiled for life.
Sometimes having the best can be dangerous if you can no longer enjoy the "inferior" versions. But I'm of the mindset it's always worth trying the best to lay out your reference points. I enjoy no shortage of mid-range versions (chocolate, olive oil, salumi, jams) regularly even after having had the best. The best should be reserved and savored for special occasions and now I have a selection of rare teas to enjoy on my upcoming birthday. Thank you Su!
Wow, Su sounds quite generous. I'm jealous!
ReplyDeleteHow is Malaysian dry-storage vs. HK or TW dry storage? Someone was recently telling me how amazing Malaysian storage is, better than anything else out there and that got me quite curious.
EoT has a good selection Malaysian stored teas. David moved there, it seems, specifically to better age his teas
DeleteDear Jake,
DeleteI do not have enough data points to compare with TW dry storage and I've not had enough stellar examples of HK dry storage. But Malaysian storage is worth pursuing.
H
Have had that tea. It is not trivially good, at least for '90s factory tea, and there is no way it wouldn't be extremely expensive on a retail basis. You are lucky to have such a large chunk of it.
ReplyDeleteWait a couple of decades? Ehhh, I presume it's about twenty years old. By 2025 this tea would be about when you can call it aged. I can guess there's some advantage to another couple of decades, in the sense that wonderful aged chen xiang gloss coats all. But for all practical purposes, it'd be better to say that it has five to ten more years to go. At the first hint of ripeness.
As far as I understand, Su keeps her tea very dry, and this does not taste like it was ever wet. I'm agnostic as to whether Malaysian storage is all superior or not. I think what matters most is that people pay attention to the tea in their storage.
You know? I think Su should send you a bit of her early '90s 7542. If you think this qing bing has such a "golden" mouthfeel, I wonder what'd happen to you if you had that tea! It also has a rather refined wood taste that isn't as plummy as 7542 usually is, and what your tea really has in the finish.
Dear shah8,
DeleteAll the Malaysia stored teas I've tried come from Su. There's storage and of the course the tea itself. Su has excellent taste and I am not liable to get a differently stored version of those teas so I won't be able to make an exact taste comparison. I am not one to put a hefty downpayment to EoT to do a thorough Malaysian storage taste test either.
I'll save a part of the QB to taste in 2025 for sure. Su sent me the 90's 7542 for 2013 New Years and it was so delicious, I immediately hid away the rest in a special secret location so I wouldn't consume the rest.
H
Very nice, so glad you got a such a nic package! When it matures in 25 years, do put the spent leafs on my tombstone, thank you.
ReplyDelete