Gushu
Youle 2014
For lovers of calm and comfortable sheng.
Sitting at the heart of Xishuangbanna region is Youle, a famous pu’er tea mountain that bridges Yiwu to the east and Menghai to the west. This pressing from 2014 is an exciting perspective on a sheng pu’er that combines the characteristically sweet and gentle huigan of Yiwu with the hearty bitterness of the Menghai region’s productions. The high-quality material is evident here as the leaves have a lot to give. Supporting a stretched out transformation through its repeated steeps, one can sense its liveliness in the pleasant aromatics of stone fruit and milk bread, a good mouthfeel that numbs the tip of the tongue like clove, and a lingering bitterness that dissolves into a returning sweetness of honey, making it a mouthwatering enjoyment throughout.
- ORIGIN: Youle, Jinghong Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
- MEANING: from Youle Mountain
- CULTIVAR: Da Ye Zhong
- HARVEST TIME: Spring 2014
- TASTE: Apricot, cloves, elderflower honey
- Quantity: 6g / 500ml
- Water temperature: 100°C
- Infusion time: 5 min
- Quantity: 5g / 100ml
- Water temperature: 100°C
- After an initial rinse, several short infusions
For best results in gongfu cha, brew in the traditional gaiwan or in a Yixing teapot. Too high water temperature would burn the leaves, resulting in bitter taste.