Done! Glad to see the end of this 1990s Guang Yun Gong teacake
Guang Yun Gong is a brand that is known within the older puerh drinking circle. Within the hierarchy of age tea it is seen as being 2nd and even 3rd tier in terms of quality. The older productions from the 1960s/70s are really not bad and have positively embedded the name GYG in my memory. Thereafter I kept an eye out for newer productions and had an opportunity to buy multiple tongs of the 1990s Guang Yun Gong which I gave serious thought. The low price made the offer tempting but it also made me wary. I left with one teacake and have never returned for more.
The 1990s Guang Yun Gong is comprised of raw material from outside Yunnan and officially would not be classified as puerh tea today. The origin of the tea leaves is unknown to me but I find the quality to be inferior to border tea productions that I have come across. Drinking the tea the influence of traditional HK storage is there however the tea has not blossomed. I found the tea to be dull and listless, and weird. The brew carries a noticeable tartness with hongcha notes, alongside TCM in a background of soft earthiness. It is the quality that is delivered within these notes that is reason why the tea is priced low. Despite owning a teacake and chipping away at it for over 10 years with the hope of seeing a better tomorrow the 1990s GYG has never won me over. Additionally trying samples from other sources did little to change my view.
