Sherab, is not only a generous friend of mine who gave me this tea, he also is the author of the tea blog Mt.Awakening Aroma. Although it is written in Chinese, it can be easily translated using the numerous online translators.
My first exposure to Douji pu-erh was due to Gordon of Dragon Tea House. He generously sent me a small box with 6 sachets containing unblended mao cha from the 6 famous tea mountains. It was indeed a rare and wonderful opportunity. I knew then that Douji was something special!
Excited about this tea, I sent a sample to Marshaln of the very well known blog A Tea Addicts Journal for his thoughts on the subject. He has provided an excellent review of this tea and his thoughts about Douji pu-erh itself.
Product Information
The Yiwu Zheng Shan Mountain Company is located in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Although relatively new to the pu-erh world, they are becoming quite famous due to their high grade "Douji" pu-erh. Their products have even caught the eye of the world renowned pu-erh guru Mr. Shi Kun Mu.
Ms. He Bei Xia, the chairperson of the Yiwu Zheng Shan Mountain Company is adamant in producing only the best pu-erh possible. She places great emphasis on quality control and insures that only the best mao cha from Yunnan will be compressed into pu-erh. This is no easy endevour and in order to keep such stringent standards she guarantees that the company will produce no more than a 100 tons of tea a year. To put this in perspective, the XiaGuan Factory will produce roughly 7000 tons of puerh each year every year.
Initial Impressions
The beeng was nicely compacted. Stone mold no doubt. No smoke or off scents with just the lovely scent of young sheng. Somewhat floral, hints of rubber and delightfully sweet. Very nice looking leaves. Interestingly, the beeng did not contain a nei piao.
Brewing Parameters
Water-Bottle spring water, generic brand. Source of water Lafayette Springs, WS
Amount – 5.gWater Temp - Boil then cooled for 2 breaths
Brewing Vessel - Yixing Teapot 150ml
Method – Gongfu
Infusion times
1-15s
2-12s
3-16s
4-25s
5-35s
6-50s
7-66s
Tasting Notes
The aroma was honey and sweet which did not dissipate very easily in the later infusions. The liquor had a very nice acidity with hints of dry grass with a very delicate flutter of rubber. A very nice huigan. The liquor was also very thick with a descent viscosity that definitely coated the mouth and throat. It was certainly a powerful brew as my tongue and the sides of my cheeks were numb after the 3rd infusion. However, the numbness can not be compared to that caused by rough and harsh mao cha. It was a different kind. It was a numbness that was associated with the chayun somehow. It was indeed a highly active tea. Definitely a tea to age.
Spent Leaves
Very nice and robust leaves. Nice thick veins which reminded me of old growth.
Final Impressions
.jpg)
I really enjoyed this pu-erh. You can definitely taste a quality that the larger factories can not easily emulate. As MarshalN has mentioned in his review, Douji is unquestionably difficult to find in the states, and the price is a considerably much more than most beengs. However, if you can get a hold of a beeng or two, I would recommend buying as it certainly was a pleasure to drink. Thank you Sherab!
