Today I felt like having a Sheng (raw) Puer. It’s a sunny day and nearly Fall, and I wanted something energetic but comforting. I don’t drink my Shengs very frequently and so they’ve piled up for many years. I have a whole shelf of my tea cabinet packed with them, which makes for a fun experience to dig through the hoard and figure out what to make.
Today I decided to dig deeper than I have in a while, pulling out cakes from the bottom of piles that I barely remember. I had nearly settled on an unopened bing that I purchased in San Francisco when I found a mysterious double-wrapped cake that smelled amazing. The label was just a traditional “green mark” without even a date stamp. What could it be?
I brewed it up and, wow, it’s quite impressive. Mouth-filling and sweet with a complex cedar and tongue-tingling flavor. The color in the cup is a reddish brown with a hint of gold. It was obvious this tea was something special. Looking all over the packaging, I finally found a small note I had written: 1998 Youle Sheng Puer from Jinoushan!
This was a gift from my friend Ben for my wedding over ten years ago (last discussed here) and it’s even better now than it was. I love that about Puer. It’s a gift from the past to the present moment, as a reminder to honor and hold what has come before and also to sit and be here now.
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