2005 Golden Bud Beengcha

When I bought this tea from Yunnan Sourcing last spring, I was disappointed. The liquor was thin and sour--not the worst shu I had ever tasted, but far from the best. I pried off a layer of the beeng. broke it into smaller pieces & put it into a ceramic pot to age.


Today I gave the tea another try. I'm feeling pretty happy. It's still a little thin and sour, but has acquired a richer, smoother taste, almost creamy, with a clean lingering mouth feel. Its greatest appeal remains visual : lots and lots of golden buds in a tight beeng yielding an orange-brown liquor. I love the fragrance, too, with its tantalizing hint of spice. Maybe given more time to age, this will show up in the taste.

I brewed this informally, rinsing a piece of tea twice in a glass gaiwan with boiling tap water, & steeping it repeatedly for 10 or 15s. It has a lot of patience; I'm still getting a tasty brew after 12 steeps.

Imen's impression of this tea was more favorable than mine. She attributes the sour taste to using too much leaf. She also agrees that it needs time to age.

I like shu brewed English-style, so next time I try this tea I'll give it a long steep in a pot. It might benefit from better water, too, though I find my favorite shus taste good regardless of the water.

I don't think this will ever be a favorite tea.