It has been 2 years after Cloud's first visit to Malaysia in 2006. In this period of time, Cloud worked hard on A Glossary of Chinese Puerh Tea [First Edition] which records some important Puerh tea terms for tea lovers' reference. After finishing the book, Cloud has time to meet tea lovers and Puerh tea connoisseurs to share Puerh tea experience.
It was a great honor for Cloud to be invited by Purple Cane Tea Art of Malaysia to join their tea functions in October 2008. It was a series of tea events. One of the tea parties was to appreciate an Antique Puerh Vintage - Huang Wenxing and a Masterpiece Puerh Vintage - the 1950's Blue Discus.
Antique Puerh Vintage - Huang Wenxing was produced from the 1930's. It has been aging for more than 70 years. With its 70 years of age, it was a precious antique indeed. The most valuable aspect of this tea cake, collected by Purple Cane Tea Art, to be appreciated in this event was its dry and clean storage conditions. By reading from the dry tea leaves on the tea cakes, tea connoisseurs could tell its well aging condition and status. Besides, tea connoisseurs could also tell its excellent blending as there were appropriate ratio of tea leaves and tea stalks. The tea buds on the surface of tea cake showed their golden aging color. Since it was a very old tea cakes, the tea buds turned into dark golden color which could normally be found in Antique Puerh Vintage
Although it was a broken tea cake (the back of the tea cake was damaged), it was a good chance for tea connoisseurs to view and inspect its internal blending. One may notice that there were some tea stalks being blended into the tea cake. Cloud is of the view that these tea stalks can enhance the tea flavor, tea broth and its aging ability.
Tea master handling this tea put appropriate volume of tea leaves into a purple clay teapot. By rough judging, it seemed that it was a 500cc teapot which was an appropriate volume for brewing the Antique Puerh Vintages because this allows enough room for tea leaves to spread.
The tea broth color of Huang Wenxing was a clear, attractive, deep chestnut red. The aroma of such was gorgeously mellow and old. The thick aroma sensation was a great appreciating experience. When sipping the tea broth, one could feel its thickness as if it were a marshmallow melting in your mouth. It also had a slight herbal taste with its thick tea broth. The most impressive aspects of the tea broth were its soft and gentle strength and water tension. It was not thin and absolutely not mediocre.
It was an amazing appreciating experience to drink Antique Puerh Vintage with leisure mind. It was a relaxing moment. However, it was too easy to forget the good appreciation time. Therefore, when Cloud got back to hotel at that night, putting down the memory by words could preserve the precious memory. Of course, if one wants to remember such a taste for longer time, purchasing one and appreciating it regularly will only be the possible solution.
11 October 2008 wrote in Chinese
26 March 2009 translated into English
Cloud (Hong Kong)
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