"3917" (1996)

This is a very tightly pressed tuocha and is still considerably young. It mellows and deepens as it opens so we suggest two rinses and a three minute rest before the first infusion. It is very bright and awake tea, good for study, hiking, meditation...

 

WET LEAF:

leaves a uniform moss green/brown • somewhat broken mid-grade leaf sizes with medium luster

 

BROTH:

gorgeous cherry amber red broth • taste is sweet and fruity with a pleasant astringency

 

ENERGY:   

this tea still has potent forward moving energy • it can be found to be incredibly inspiring in studious endeavors and creatively motivational in artistic pursuits

Being into pu-erh for a while now, we see the vintages come ripe from raw and expereince a poetic perspective analogous to the coming of age of a child. How lovely it is when a tea that isn't ready to be drunk turns up as not only drinkable, but matching the potential of its speculative outlook. Just as a child is protected, nurtured, and encouraged along the lines of its intrinsic nature blossoms into a capable adult, a tea with a stellar outlook may, with the proper care, come into its own as a fine, balanced product. How many times however do we see the converse. Nurturing a tea requires a master who is intimately involved in its life just as a student requires a teacher that truly cares about their progress.

This 3917 is an interesting study for us. Watching the progress it has made in the hands of one who knows how to expediate its process and keep it clean has been a revelation. There are methods that take the seemingly unrestrained energy and taste of an immature tea and bring them to quick graduation without the sloppiness of a rushed job. This tea is still offered at a very reasonable price for the realized outlook it is revealing - it's heading places and it knows it.