Hello all,

First of all, I'd like to encourage everyone to do what they can to
help the people of the gulf coast. As is so often the case with natural
disasters, the people most effected are poor folks who couldn't get out
in time. Many people are living in developing world/ refugee
conditions. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are both taking donations.


Instapundit.com has compiled a list of links to charities.
http://instapundit.com/archives/025235.php

Well, life in Minneapolis goes on. I was ecstatic today to receive my
initiate shipment of puer from Jing Tea. My order: 1999 Menghai 7352
raw cake (350g), 98 Feng Qing raw tuo (100g), and a 95 Menghai Feng Cha
(small square brick, 100g).

Naturally, I had to try them all consecutively. First up was the tuo. I
was enchanted by the fragrance, evocative of a forest in autumn covered
in morning dew on a chilly morning. It was easy to flake off a good
amount with my fingers, which I proceeded to brew in my trusty glass
gaiwan.

The liquor of the early infusions was a darkish amber color. The aroma
was a mellower version of the one I encountered in the dry tuo, with a
touch of moss.
The flavour was definately and pleasently woody, with a typical camphor
undertone. I savored the tingling feeling in the back of my throat. My
girlfriend described it as "minty". Subsequent infusions revealed more
sweetness.

Next up was the 99 beeng. The aroma of this cake had a more pronounced
camphor element. I was able to coax a bit off the end with my fingers.
The first infusion yielded a darker amber liquor. The flavor reminded
me of another 99 Menghai cake I'd sampled- more agressive in the
camphor flavor, yet without any bitterness and without the astringency
of that other cake.

What delighted me most about this one was the complex, lingering
sweetness that developed in the later infusions, together with a
soothing presence in the mouth and throat.

Finally, I unveiled the feng. My first impression was a reluctance to
deface this lovely piece. Chinese characters are imprinted on both
sides. Upon sniffing it, I was reminded of something very famliliar-
old cardboard boxes. Indeed, the brick was packaged in such a box.
Peeking through the smell, however, was the mellow floral aroma of the
cake.

The cake is extremely well compressed. I had to pry some off with a nut
cracker. Once steeped, the tea began to reveal its complexity. The
liquor was more reddish in color than the previous teas. The first
infusion bore the cardboard smell fairly prominently, and there was a
touch of mustyness to the flavour. Subsequent infusion became mellower,
sweeter, and very complex. I especially noticed a ripe lichee flavor
and aroma in the third infusion, while the fourth gave forth the smell
of green plantains.

To conclude I'd like to offer some insights to other newbies looking to
exlore puer further, and to those who have not tried any puer or raw pu
and are wondering if they'll like it. You should consider if you like
aged scotch wiskey, or any other alcoholic beverage aged in oak. The
flavors I've encountered here are reminiscent of other aged beverages
in their woody aroma and mouth filling texture.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my order. I owe Mike and Sebastien my
gratitude for their advice in making these selections. I'm sure to
enjoy them for months to come.

Nico