2003 Millenial Jingmai
5.5g/85ml gaiwan. Toronto filtered tap. Heavy geosmin storage aroma on warmed dry leaf. This has enjoyed Malaysian natural storage, but definitely on the wetter end. Clear dark orange liquor. Dark...
Water trials: “Untitled” from Arby
Buried deep in the niche that is the English language Puerh scene is the positively subterranean scene of constructed water. The first time I encountered this was with Lew Perin’s...
2019 Biyun Hao Yiwu Shengtai
5.5g/85ml gaiwan, Toronto filtered tap. Light initial steep, it takes a few steeps to get going. Very active, plenty of high floral notes, herbal notes, and darker savoury notes. Clearly...
2007 Chenyuan Hao Lao Ban Zhang
5g/85ml Hongni Yixing, Toronto filtered tap. 2020 Tabla solo by Pt. Swapan Ji. Strong compression and on the drier side. Lots of buds. Slight smoke on the empty cup after...
2016 W2T Last Thoughts
5g/85ml gaiwan, Toronto filtered tap. This was kept in a sample bag and put into heated storage at 32C *with* added humidity at 72% Boveda, and it developed quite a...
2021 W2T Hotline Space Coyote
5.3g/85ml gaiwan, Cedar Springs Water. Loose compression, large leaves, some vinegary sweet vine aroma on the dry leaf. There is a bit of a rubber note that jumps out in...
2007 Wistaria Lanyin
5g/85ml Hongni Yixing, Toronto filtered tap. Warmed leaf has a fruity fermentation aroma. High viscosity, light orange colour. Initial steep at <10s is thick, strong, good presence, not brassy, no...
Her Scents of Pu Er: film review
Thanks to the Hotdocs film festival currently under way in Toronto, I just saw the world premiere of the 2021 short film “Her Scents of Pu Er”. Directed, produced and...
2017 W2T Anniversary Cake, 5 years storage comparison
3.6g/60ml in two identical gaiwans. Left side was aged at 32C for five years, Right side at room temp. Both stored in Mylar. Part of a series on hotbox storage....
2003 Chenyuan Hao Yiwu
5.8g/90ml Yixing, Toronto filtered Tap. Tryptych, Eliane Radigue (1978) Faint fruity fermentation aroma on damp leaf. Wash has a touch of smokiness to it. Wet leaf has an attractive woody...