2014 Wu Liang Gushu Tea Tasting (Xin An Chu)

I have been busy over the last couple of weeks and I really want to have regular tea sessions again. The tea I drank to kickstart this habit is a 2014 Wuliang Gushu from Xin An Chu. I’ve had this one in my cupboard for a while as Liu sent me a box full of samples to taste several months ago.

2014 Wuliang Gushu

As the name suggests, the 2014 Wuliang Gushu comes from Wuliang shan in Yunnan province and was harvested in 2014. The tea trees are supposed to be gushu according to the description on the website.

This tea went through dry storage in Kunming (I think). I don’t have more information about the tea, but it’s nice to do this once in a while. It’s more of a blind session now, which offers a completely different experience because you don’t know what to expect.

Tea tasting

• 99°C water
• 6g for a 120ml zisha teapot

The leaves are fairly big and the compression of the cake is loose so it’s easy to pick apart. The leaves have a brown color and I also see some beige buds. The aroma reminds me of red fruits and there is an undertone of dry wood. Once the leaves get wet, the fruits become more prominent. There are definitely aged notes present as well.

Infusion 1 (15 sec): the color of the liquor is a light tint of yellow, but it looks quite thick. It’s a subtle infusion and it flows well. Once I take a sip, it immediately coats my whole mouth and throat. There are slight hints of fruit in the aftertaste, but nothing that stands out.

Infusion 2 (20 sec): it’s more intense and I feel that some fruity notes are coming through. Drinking this infusion is so relaxing! I’m drinking this tea after work and it’s as if I forgot everything and the tea is the only thing that matters. There is a slight bitterness at the start but this quickly becomes sweet and lasts long into the aftertaste.

Infusion 3 (25 sec): the bitterness is more dominant but just like in the previous infusion; it changes quickly into a long-lasting fruitiness. Some of the bitterness returns in the aftertaste, but it’s mostly fruity.

Infusion 4 (30 sec): I feel it’s not as bitter and the fruitiness has become dominant right from the start. It lingers through the infusion and continues into the aftertaste. It really is a tea that stays with you for a while. It’s not super intense, but you feel a slight fruitiness that slumbers somewhere deep down…

Infusion 5 (40 sec): this one has some mineral notes to it at the start, but these fade away quickly. I feel the flavors are fading a bit so I’ll do several long infusions (2-3 minutes). The aftertaste is still going strong while the infusion itself is lacking a bit.

Infusion 6 (long): I really start to feel the energy of this tea, but the flavors are fading a bit. I still feel some fruitiness during the infusion, but it’s mainly about the sweet aftertaste. Now I’m also experiencing a slight astringency after the infusion.

Conclusion

In general, this was an enjoyable tea. The flavors were subtle but pleasant. It was a combination of bitterness at the start which quickly changed into fruitiness. This fruitiness really came through in the aftertaste. The 2014 Wuliang Gushu is one of those teas that you drink and forget everything else. Only the tea is important and it feels just right.