I was really impressed with the 2019 Da Xue Shan from Terre de Ciel so I tasted another sheng puerh from the sample pack they sent me last summer. On today’s menu is the 2013 Wuliang Shan sheng puerh.
2013 Wuliang Shan
The 2013 Wuliang Shan is a sheng puerh from Duo Yi village in the Wuliang mountains. This is at a high altitude (don’t know the exact numbers) and gushu tea trees were used for this tea.
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The leaves were stone pressed into cakes in Jinghong and were left to rest for 6 months in Xishuangbanna before being sent to France. This implies that this tea has been ‘aged’ in France since 2013-2014. I guess this is a rather dry kind of storage so it’s nice to discover what effect this will have on the tea.
2013 Wuliang Shan
- 5.2g for 120ml zisha teapot
- 99°C water
Brown leaves with some beige tints. The size of these leaves is remarkable because they are rather small. Really curious to see how these small leaves perform. The aroma is subtle and slightly mineral and fruity. I’m getting light hints of citrus fruits.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): the colour is dark beige and the liquor looks really thick and syrupy. A slight minerality is coming through but the infusion itself is not that intense. The finish has some fruity top notes and it gradually increases in the aftertaste. It’s sweet and gentle so it’s nice to drink this after waking up.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the colour is more yellow and it looks even thicker than the previous infusion. It’s really light for a puerh of this age. A fruity sweetness is lurking beneath the surface but it doesn’t want to show itself. I feel something is going on, but it’s a bit muted. Flavours are pleasant but I really have to look for something because they are buried deep. The aftertaste has slight hints of citrus to it and it’s even a bit floral as it’s similar to violets.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): this is such a nice and gentle tea. Similar to the previous infusion and it’s slightly fruity, sweet and it has notes of violets in the aftertaste. The aftertaste is long-lasting and is so good!
Infusion 4 (30 sec): the colour has changed and it’s darker yellow. I boiled some fresh water and the flavours are more intense. They are right there and I’m getting citrus fruits, some incense and the aftertaste has apricots to it and keeps going for a long time.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): colour is similar to the previous one. I’m getting more incense right now with a fruity twist. Really nice one without any bitterness or astringency.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): violets are present throughout the infusion and incense pops up as well. The aftertaste keeps going and feels a bit sweet. Pleasant infusion to end the session.
Conclusion
The 2013 Wuliang Shan sheng is a really nice but subtle tea. If you’re looking for something intense, this might not be what you’re looking for. If you want something subtle, this one is perfect! You have to be patient to experience real flavours, but it pays off once they come out.
The infusions themselves were sweet with some fruity notes and the aftertaste reminded me of violets. I did not expect this by looking at the leaves, but this tea was a nice surprise! The second part of the session was more intense and the flavours were spot on! Incense popped up and worked well in combination with the fruity and sweeter notes.
If you want to try it, you can buy it here.
