BoYa Gushu & Wild Tea Sheng Puerh

This week, I started to write a Da Wu Ye Dancong Oolong review, but that would be my second oolong post in a row. (Yes, I drink too much oolong. I’ve just realized that my tea collection is about 60% oolong.) So, instead, I’ll be reviewing a nice sheng puerh.

Name: “BoYa” from Bokuryo Tea Factory

Season: Spring 2018 Origin: Ban Pen village, Yunnan, China

Variety: Gushu & Wild Tea Sheng Puerh

Steeping Details: 8 g, steeped 6 times at 195°F(90°C). I started at 8 seconds and increased the time by about 6 seconds per infusion.

Tasting Notes:

The steeped leaves are dark green, with a straw and damp-earth aroma. Very reminiscent of a pasture. The liquor is golden, sometimes fading to rose-gold. The straw and wet soil aromas carry into the flavor too, but they’re mild at first. What’s more striking is the spiciness. It’s a pleasant, tingly peppery feeling on my tongue and at the back of my throat. Astringency builds with each sip, and when I finish the first steeping, my mouth feels quite dry.

Gradually, the musty straw and hay notes become more pronounced. The astringency and spiciness are both quite strong, producing a great mouthfeel. There’s also a distinctly smoky, peppery aftertaste. It’s like stepping into a smokehouse. After each sip, I find myself savoring it for a minute or two before drinking more. It’s delicious.

Overall Impressions:

This was a very tasty, mildly flavored puerh. I enjoyed the flavor and aroma, but my favorite aspects were easily the spiciness and smoky aftertaste. While some teas are good to have in the background of some other activity, BoYa demands your focus. If I tried to drink it while working, I think my attention would constantly be pulled back to the sensations in my mouth. It was a great jolt of energy on a lazy afternoon.

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Kara

IG: teaoverseas