A not wholly unpleasant Puerh session with Yunnan Sourcing's 2011 "Hui Run" ripe Puerh cake of Bu Lang Mountain.

Prepping for my Puerh session

I have not had a Puerh I have been able to stand and a couple have been downright unpleasant. I was expecting more of the same tonight, but for the first time I had an 'OK' time of it.
I didn't like it, that would be going too far, but as the photos show, full chai hai, full cup, empty chai hai, empty cup. I did that three times.
My stomach feels a little crampy. Interesting. I think what got me through it was I was immediately transported to a very happy time. I was thirteen and at my three week sleep-away Jewish Summer Camp up in the Saratoga Mountains of Northern California. It was night, and cold and we were all sitting around a fire-pit. I felt sexual tension, a first kiss either just around the corner or initiated earlier in the day. Oh my word, I remembered his name right now when I burped Puerh. Neil Diamond. This is all true. What weird and wonderful places the various tastes of teas have taken me so far! And it is not beyond my notice that my dreams since letting tea transport me have become much richer, more full of archetypes and mythical creations. I have even begun to read Jung!

Full.

Drink tea. You will be better for the experiences, even if you can't stand the taste. It still has something to show you, somewhere to take you, if only you will move beyond your taste-buds and push past the discomfort of something that is not sweet and pleasant upon the tongue. I'm inspired to keep at it, not to seek a perfect moment, but to continue having new moments with tea as a key in my hand to some very odd doors I had not even known were capable of opening.

Empty!

From Yunnan Sourcing

We are excited to offer this premium ripe pu-erh cake made entirely from Spring 2011 Bu Lang mountain material. First flush material was collected from several Bu Lang villages and fermented for 46 days. After fermentation was completed, the tea was dried and graded. We blended the various grades to create a balance recipe comprising of tippy golden buds and heavier grade 1,3, and 5 leaves. The term “Hui Run” refers to the sweet, slippery and soothing feeling that lingers in the mouth and throat even after the tea drinking session has ended.

357 grams per cake (7 cakes per bamboo leaf tong)

November 15th, 2011 compression date!