2005 Bu Lang Silver Tip Sheng Cake

This tea has a black currant type of flavor, dark, heavy and warm. It's a tea that I would enjoy very much in winter days. The aftertaste is fresh, fragrant and very long lasting. There is a hint of smokiness which I almost enjoy.

The full title of the tea on the wrap is Bu Lang Mountain Ancient Big Tree Puerh. The manufacturer told me the leaves were from hundred-year-old trees. Strictly speaking, trees of 800 years old are defined as "ancient trees" in China. But practically in the market, not all puerh titled "Ancient Tree" is from tea trees older than 100 years. Besides, in some regions of Yunnan, people traditionally call tea plantation with hundred-year-old trees "ancient tea plantation".

Leaves of this tea are quite adorable.

I don't drink puerh most of the time. I generally don't drink new puerh, and drink 2-3 years old puerh very rarely, mainly for tasting purposes. Recently I've realized that some of my 2007 tea is "ok" for me to taste - to me, younger tea is not "ok" because of its strong cooling power. I found this 2005 tea (although under very dry storage all the time, in Kunming and then New England) very enjoyable with great warmth in it. This just makes me realize the year 2005 is already 5 years away from us. Puerh is a strange thing. When your tea gets more mature and more amicable to drink after years of dormancy, it doesn't just bring innocent joy. It makes you realize another big chunk of time has elapsed.