2011 Bada Gushu Sheng Tea Tasting (Xin An Chu)

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2011 Bada Gushu Sheng Xin An Chu Tea Adventures.jpg

Last week, Liu from Xin An Chu sent me a new package with some samples for me to try. Mostly puerh tea so he knows what I like! The sample that caught my attention is the 2011 Bada Gushu Sheng. The description on his website says the liquor isn’t full-bodied, but I wanted to see that for myself. All of his teas are excellent so I knew this one would be no exception.

2011 Bada Gushu Sheng

This puerh tea comes from Bada Mountain (in Menghai County), one of the six famous tea mountains in the South Lancang River area. It’s a relatively remote area that is surrounded by fog and clouds all year round.

Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a list of over 300 online tea shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here

The material was harvested in 2011, but I don’t have any specific information about the storage. I know it went through dry storage for a while, but nothing specific.

Tea Tasting

The leaves have a uniform faded brown color. I also see some hairy buds that have a slightly lighter color. They look pretty good and I don’t see that much smaller pieces. The dry leaves have a dry wood aroma in combination with something mossy. Once the leaves get wet, red fruits are noticeable.

  • Water 99°C
  • 4.1g for a 100ml teapot
2011 Bada Gushu Sheng Xin An Chu Tea Adventures.jpg

Infusion 1 (15 sec): the liquor has a light brown/beige color but it seems quite thick already. Smelling the leaves after this infusion reminds me of incense and fruit tobacco. Flavors are subtle but they linger on the palate towards the finish and aftertaste. Some hints of red fruits and a slight minerality in the aftertaste.

Infusion 2 (20 sec): the color is darker beige. There is a prominent sweetness, but it’s mixed with a minerality. There is a slight smokiness right beneath the surface. This smokiness disappears gradually and there is a sweetness with hints of red fruits, especially in the aftertaste.

Infusion 3 (25 sec): really gentle tea while being full of flavor. I’m getting more of the same red fruits with an underlying bittersweetness. It’s not too much, but the bitter notes are just right.

Infusion 4 (30 sec): similar to the previous infusion. The bittersweetness is less bitter and sweeter, though.

Infusion 5 (40 sec): more of the bittersweet flavors with a tiny bit of incense towards the finish.

Infusion 6 (50 sec): balanced and refreshing bittersweetness. There is a bit of incense towards the finish and in the aftertaste.

I did 4-5 additional infusions but did not take notes. Most of them were similar and lost most incense along the way. It’s a pleasant and easy-going tea.

Conclusion

This was a gentle tea. Flavors were not too intense as they slowly flowed through the infusion. I experienced red fruits and the undertone of most infusions was bittersweet.

Towards the end, there was also a smokiness and hints of incense, but it wasn’t too much. It added a bit of character to the tea.

I felt the flavors were at the right intensity, which made it an enjoyable and relaxing tea session. I had this tea yesterday and wanted to drink it again today. Definitely one of the better sheng puerh teas I’ve had lately.

If you want to try this 2011 Bada Gushu Sheng, you can buy it over here.

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