2003 Chenyuan Hao Youle
5g/95ml, Toronto filtered tap.
This tea is quite unique among the early CYH productions. In its taste profile, I find what some might call a strong “tea taste” or maybe a “black tea taste” or maybe a “brassiness” that is associated with e.g. second flush Darjeeling. My guess is that the varietal is somewhat different from what you typically find in puerh tea. It could still be Assamica, as it does behave mostly like a puerh tea, but maybe an unusual version of it. There is a touch of this profile present in the Shanzong Chuanqi blend, which I would guess is from the Youle component.
The CYH Youle has a very comforting aged profile, rounded, sweet, with a warming sensation that coats the mouth and throat. There is a swirling upward flow of heat that reaches to the arms and legs and is very pleasant.
Finally, the processing seems very good – tight rolling, sturdy leaves that remain intact upon finger friction. An excellent tea with plenty of fans, but the brassy aspect puts it outside my preference locus. 6.8