Old petrified tea leaves
This is a very old batch of loose leaf puerh tea that is estimated conservatively to be around 50 years old. I have drunk older teas from the 1950s and 1960s that bear similarities to the profile. The tea has undergone traditional HK storage and the multiple decades thereafter have petrified the tea leaves making them hard and dry, meaning that the flavors and substance are locked in requiring a deep and prolonged steeping. Personally I have found that using 3.5g to 500ml for 2 hrs in a thermo works very well. After a quick double rinse the tea leaves are placed in the thermo for the long steep. This method maximizes the extraction of old tea leaves. The tea aroma starts a touch dusty then clears to a captivating sweet and mature wood fragrance alongside layers of dark TCM, this is interspersed with notes of talcum, a light musk, dark cocoa, bark, spicy dark resin, alongside fine age nuances. Sipping the brew there is a mild sweet creaminess accentuated by a substantial thickness coming from the brew. The taste is mellow with subtle flavors, it is the kind of tea experience that requires slow appreciation to unravel its mysteries. Resting the brew in an old clay pitcher the flavors become more pronounced. The feeling of the tea upon the body is very comfortable and relaxing.
Additional Note: For tea enthusiasts who enjoy studying the development and progression of age tea, drinking tea comparitively brings about new perceptions that invoke greater insight and a richer experience with tea. This practice becomes especially insightful when you have 2 teas following the same path of development. The 1990s Menghai Orange Label (Private) is one that pairs well with the Antique Puerh (Loose Leaf) for this reason. Both have undergone traditional HK storage and have similar development and traits, at 30 years and 50 years the 2 teas highlight different stages of maturity. Having drunk both teas individually and side by side I found the experience to be both captivating and enlightening. The wood note between the 2 teas really caught my attention. At 30 years the red cherry wood tones presented an accompaniment of age nuances that still held on to a degree of liveliness, appearing surprisingly youthful at times next to the older tea. Comparatively at 50 years the older wood specimen shows significantly greater maturity, revealing brown creamy tones accompanied by a heavier spectrum of basenotes. It is remarkable how the characteristics of a 30 year tea can suddenly appear youthful when drunk next to an older tea. Conversely certain aspects found in the 50 year tea that was overlooked or appear muted would suddenly standout under the comparison. I encourage my readers to look out for these comparisons. These experiences are simply a treasure and a special key to unlocking the world of age tea.
Wet leaves
Old brew to be savored
