It was my birthday today and I went with a special tea from 1990ies. I was a kid when this tea was harvested, and I was already friends with those two girls with whom I shared this tea today.

It is not going to be a long post today as there is a lot of unknown about this tea given that it is from 90ies and informative pu-erh wrappers were introduced in 2000. A Taiwanese vendor bought this tea some 15 years ago from Hong Kong where it was strored naturally. Later, the tea was kept in a dry warehouse. Possibly, these different storages had different effects on the tea.

I thought this exceptional tea was tasted so earthy and even dusty that I have never experienced with a shu pu-erh. Perhaps this was caused by natural storage in Hong Kong. It also had an impressive hui gan (“comeback sweetness”). My friends said that they could still taste the tea even after eating something.

Thank you tea for making special moments even more special!

Tea Profile:

Type: Pu-erh

Origin: Yunnan

Harvest time: 1990ies

Leave colour: Tones of dark brown with lighter buds

Liquor colour: Cupper

Tea aroma: Earthy and malty

Tea taste: Medium bodied, with a pleasant earthiness and long-lasting hui gan

Steeping/brewing: You can use around 100°C water temperature and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves many times (until the taste is lost). To each infusion add additional time. Experiment for a result that suits your taste.

Shelf life: Up to 30 years and possibly more