504-7542 after two decades: Taiwan and Malaysia
This is a comparison between two versions of batch 504 of the Dayi 7542 recipe, after 20 years of clean natural storage in Malaysia and Taiwan. It is part of a storage comparison project that has been in preparation for quite a while at TWL. I have a few good 504-7542 cakes from Taiwan which received some wet storage, and these can certainly be good, but we wanted clean natural storage for this set. Interestingly, while the dry leaves are considerably darker and redder on the Malaysian-stored cake (see Above Left), the difference in liquor colour was more subtle.
Brewed with Bezoya bottled water, ~12 steeps of 85ml in porcelain.
The teas have a quite different profile at the start of the session, but in the late steeps, they became much more similar as they showed more of their bitterness and astringency.
Both begin with a concentrated plummy and woody base, punchy and powerful. The Taiwan-stored tea has a noticeable flinty, not-quite-smoky incense note that I get from some MTF productions before 2005. The Malaysian-stored tea has a rounder, sweeter taste, less bitter and does not have the flinty note; it has more of a sweet woody incense note which I couldn’t describe as smoky.
The tea is strong, encouraging long breaks between steeps, it also brews out quite quickly, rewarding restraint in steeping time. On the other hand, a long steep gives an overwhelming broth with plenty of bitterness and astringency, as well as a long sweet aftertaste.
This tea shares a resemblance to dry-stored versions of the 2001 7542 simplified yun that I have tried. I remember the 502-7542 being slightly more plummy than this one, but no stronger or longer-lived. The 501-7542 I have tried, with similar storage, was significantly stronger and less enjoyable at this level of aging.
The Malaysian-stored 504-7542 is very ready to drink at the moment, and the Taiwan stored is as well, but with more careful brewing. Comfortable focusing energy and a strong impact in flavour, mouthfeel and bodyfeel. Classic Dayi taste.
The wet leaf shows a remarkable difference; the Malaysian-stored version has a rich dark brown colour, while the Taiwan-stored version is a dark olive green. Material is quite nice looking, with thick leaves deep serrations, and what appears to be strong rolling.
Strongly recommended! 8.0
