The weather is getting colder so that means it’s time to start drinking more shou puerh again. For today’s session, I had a 2012 LTC Da Hong Ying from Vin-Satori. They sent me a couple of samples last summer and this was one of those teas.
2012 LTC Da Hong Ying
This 2012 LTC Da Hong Ying is a ‘shou puerh’ from Myanmar. Technically speaking, it’s not really shou puerh because it doesn’t come from Yunnan Province. There are many similarities between puerh and tea from border regions so I’ll treat this one as puerh.
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It’s a tea produced by Lan Ting Chun and I really liked his other teas so I’m curious to taste this one. The material itself comes from Myanmar, but it was processed and stored in Yongde.
Tea Tasting
- 5.4g for a 100ml Factory 2 zisha teapot
- Water 99°C
The leaves are small and the compression is relatively loose. It has a dark brown colour with some lighter brown tints. The aroma has notes of leather, faint hints of cocoa and forest floor.
Infusion 1 (20 sec): it’s quite refreshing at the start. It doesn’t start in a typical shou puerh way. It’s a refreshing sweetness that transforms into a warming sweetness. There are notes of spices and caramel. It feels as if someone is putting a blanket over my shoulders on a rainy and cold autumn day.
Infusion 2 (25 sec): not too different from the first infusion. The flavours are fuller and are more what I expect of shou puerh. There is an underlying sweetness with hints of wood and wet forest. Not really getting spices and caramel anymore. There is some incense in the finish and the aftertaste lingers for a while. The aftertaste is more of what I got during the infusion.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the colour is like coffee now. No big changes. It has a woody flavour profile with a sweet undertone. I’m also getting some dark cocoa, which gives it a slightly bitter edge. It does a good job of countering the sweetness. The finish has notes of incense again.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): not as fresh and it’s getting a bit fruity now. It has notes of citrus with a touch of cocoa. Delicious! The sweetness becomes dominant in the finish and I’m really starting to get a long-lasting aftertaste.
Infusion 5 (long): the cocoa has disappeared. The liquor feels really smooth and thick with great energy. I’m experiencing a warming sensation throughout my whole body. There are some traces of citrus fruits as well.
Infusion 6 (long): the flavours are fading a bit, but citrus is coming through and is more intense. It’s a sweet tea with a fruity twist, especially in the finish.
Conclusion
The 2012 LTC Da Hong Ying is a solid everyday shou puerh. It’s a good combination of sweet and bitter. Towards the end of the session, it became fruitier and the aftertaste got longer and more intense.
The combination was really enjoyable and had the right intensity. This goes to show that border regions can produce good tea as well.
If you’re interested in this tea, click here.
