I came home from work today and wanted to drink a nice young sheng puerh. I picked a 2019 Da Xue Shan from Terre de Ciel because I still have quite a few samples they sent me several months ago. I like most of their teas so this tea was perfect to relax on this windy afternoon.
2019 Da Xue Shan
This 2019 Da Xue Shan comes from wild tea trees in the forests of Da Xue Shan. These leaves were harvested in March, which is supposed to be a good period for wild puerh. It’s a sheng puerh that does not seem like sheng based on the dry leaves.
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The leaves were harvested in 2019 so that makes them around 2 years old. I am tasting maocha in this session, but this is not available anymore. If you want to try this tea, you can only buy a small teacake. They assured me it’s not too different but I have to try for myself to see if this is really the case.
Tea Tasting
- 4g for a 100ml zhuni teapot
- Water 90°C
The colour of the leaves is really interesting. Mostly brown and khaki tints and it doesn’t really look like sheng puerh. Medium-sized leaves with some stems as well. Once I wake the leaves, a sweet and warm smell fills my nostrils. Really fragrant and it smells like juicy and exotic summer fruits. I immediately think of melon and passion fruit. This 2019 Da Xue Shan surely looks and smells promising!
Infusion 1 (10 sec): really light beige colour, so exactly what you would expect from a young sheng. If it tastes only half as good as it smells, this will be a very exciting session. Some of the fruitiness is present, but it’s rather subtle in this one. It feels delicate but pleasant. Faint hints of berries at the start but it gets fruitier towards the finish and in the aftertaste. The aftertaste is more intense than the actual infusion.
Infusion 2 (12 sec): it feels more intense but still silky and delicate. I’m getting a minerality at the start and this slowly changes into honeydew melon as it’s both sweet and fruity at the same time. This one really develops once it’s in your mouth. The finish and aftertaste are intense and it lingers for a long time. This tea reminds me a lot of summer.
Infusion 3 (15 sec): similar to the previous infusion but the sweet fruitiness starts earlier and is noticeable right from the start. The minerality I experienced earlier is a bit more intense, but it adds some complexity to the brew. Definitely a great infusion that feels really gentle. The aftertaste is on a whole other level! So long and intense!
Infusion 4 (17 sec): I waited 10 minutes to do this infusion and I’m still experiencing the aftertaste of the previous infusion… It’s not too different, but that’s not a problem because it’s delicious. Strong hints of melon and orchids with a tiny bit of minerality. The energy of these leaves is also coming through and I’m experiencing a warm feeling throughout my whole body.
Infusion 5 (20 sec): it’s more focused on the back of the throat now and feels a bit deeper. It doesn’t get you right away but slowly creeps up. It reaches its peak in the aftertaste and stays around for a long time. Less fruity but some traces are left and are really coming through in the aftertaste.
Infusion 6 (30 sec): this one is a bit longer because the last infusion was not as intense. The flavours have faded a bit more but I still feel some traces of the sweet fruitiness. It’s all about the aftertaste as I’m not really getting much during the infusion. The infusion itself is more mineral, while the aftertaste is fruitier and sweeter. It reminds me of passion fruit and honeydew melon.
Conclusion
The 2019 Da Xue Shan wild sheng puerh is definitely the best young sheng puerh I have tasted this year. Flavours were rather subtle and not right in your face, but that’s what I liked about this tea.
Most infusions started out with a subtle minerality that slowly changed into a sweet fruitiness. These flavours reminded me of passion fruit and honeydew melon. All of a sudden, it was summer again and it felt as if the sun was shining. Fantastic tea and you just have to try it yourself.
If you want to try this 2019 Da Xue Shan, click here (to get a small cake or sample).
