A super fragrant Gushu PuErh from Jing Mai which exhibits a complex array of flavours which change from infusion to infusion.
A limited batch of 123 cakes. Picked in 2013 and cake aged from 2014 in Shenzhen. Similar to Hong Kong weather, Shenzhen's humidity and temperature have kickstarted the ageing process, giving the tea a rich, prune sweetness and depth of woods and spices. It is going to be fascinating to taste how this tea changes as it ages and is great opportunity to pick up a high quality, semi-aged tea for future ageing.
This tea is estimated to be made from between 300-500-year-old trees and potentially up to 700 years although it is important to say that since we did not directly source this tea from farmers, these figures are approximations. The leaves look like they may be sourced from mixed, smaller leaf varieties compared with the standard Big Leaf Assamica. These smaller leaved varieties are found in Jing Mai but we cannot be certain. What we do know is that this Gushu packs a punch in the aroma/flavour department and has a fabulous complexity whilst being a very balanced and easy drinking tea.
The flavours shift and play through the infusions. The wet stored taste is fresh and light and gives character to the first few infusions before the brighter and zesty notes reveal themselves in further steeps. Throughout all of the infusions, there is a flower and fruit sweetness that seems to go on and on - you could probably get closer to 20 brews from this Jing Mai.