2023 “The Sky in Buckets. Tibetan Yak” Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake

I didn’t really get this tea through regular infusions — or rather, it didn’t reveal anything new to me, as a young sheng. But it truly surprised me when steeped in cold water. Really tasty. The aftertaste feels like I just ate an apple. A delightful little discovery :)

Brewed at 95 degrees Celsius, 5 grams / 100 ml water and starting at 10 seconds.

Smooth and creamy tea, found notes of fruit jam (plum, currant), honey, custard, and a slight minerality. Also, a floral hint, which was a surprise. The tea is relatively sweet and has a good, thick mouthfeel.

This has alot of the incense and potpourri aromas I tend to find in Thai raws, as well as baked apples, almonds, dried herbs and some tropical timber. Starts off sweet and gentle. Then slightly sour with some bitterness and astringency. Good structure. Lots of sweetness, that remains long after the session had ended. Very pleasant and soothing tea.

Bouquet: Deep earthy fruity with thick layers of windfalls especially ripe nuances of apple like pickled or baked plus a very distinct atmosphere of dried figs and raisins with further aspects of old leather wrapped books within an ancient library infused with hints of camphor. Its whole atmosphere is like an anthem about Autumn with its fallen colored leaves, wet earth, moss and mushrooms plus a cracking fireplace in the solitude of being whole with your inner voice and nature.

Liquor: The liquor is thick and creamy pungent with deep rooting notes of Autumn leaves, sweet ripe fruits like former name dried figs, raisins and windfall apples baked in a grandma style oven over a cracking fireplace while everything now has such an amazing sweet bourbon vanilla pudding theme to it. Very long lasting and masterfully composed.

Sweet and cloudy-milky. It's still a bit unruly as it is a young sheng, but it definitely has potential.