It has been a while since I sat down and wrote about the tea I’m drinking. The weather was really nice this morning so I went outside and brewed the 2010 King of Pu-erh, which is one of the samples Hey China sent me several months ago. I wanted to drink sheng puerh so I chose the 2010 King of Pu-erh.
2010 King of Pu-erh
The leaves of this tea come from gushu tea trees in the Yiwu area in Yunnan Province. Their website specifically states that they were sundried. I don’t have much more information so this is what I have to work with.
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I only got a sample (unfortunately), but the tea was aged in full cakes for several years. It was produced in 2010 but I don’t have any information about the type of storage it went through.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5.3g for a Dicaoqing teapot of around 120ml
I see dark brown leaves that seem to be very uniform; nothing stands out. It’s mostly medium and larger leaves with some buds as well. The aroma has some traces of wood, but it’s dominated by leather.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): really subtle infusion to start the session. It starts out with subtle hints of fruits and it gradually changes into leather towards the finish. Subtle but enjoyable first infusion.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the colour of the liquor is darker now. It’s more intense and the flavours are really coming through. It feels more mellow and even a bit sweet. I’m still getting some leather in the finish and aftertaste, but it doesn’t last very long.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): it’s getting sweeter and sweeter and there is also smoke coming through. It feels a bit astringent after swallowing. Smoke is the dominant flavour in this infusion.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): a fruity sweetness is coming through now. There is still a hint of smoke but it’s not dominant. The aftertaste has the same fruity sweetness and it lingers for a while.
Infusion 5 (40 sec): very similar, but less smokey. I’m getting the same mellow and fruity sweetness and there is also a good and long-lasting aftertaste. Sweet and slightly fruity with a hint of smoke.
Infusion 6 (long): slightly smokey and fruitier than before. The aftertaste has more of the smoke and is astringent.
Infusion 7 (long): I wanted to do another infusion but the flavours have definitely faded. Only some faded hints of fruit and smoke.
Conclusion
I had fun drinking the 2010 King of Pu-erh and the flavours were enjoyable. It started out subtle but towards the end of the session, the flavours became more pronounced. I mainly experienced a mellow and fruity sweetness in combination with a smokiness. Interesting and enjoyable combination.
If you’re interested in the 2010 King of pu-erh, you can check it out over here.
