Jiangchen GushuChawang 2005

I finished my sample of 2005 Jiang Cheng “gu shu cha wang” from houde and it was interesting. The tea was not very clean: i removed the stems, a few leaves, and even some earth. After a good airing period, the leaves had a very realistic and attracting walnut aroma. I brewed the last ~10g in a porous qing shui ni pot : i thought it could help with the wild/off flavors I had when I tried the sample a few weeks ago. Dry leaves: walnut / Wet leaves: spices & old leather Taste: wood, juice, leather, pine at the beginning… then, there are some interesting agedness flavors and even some malt when pushed. Huigan: nice. immediate huigan is about leather and sweetness … then some wood, herbs and spices. Aftertaste: not great at the beginning: there are some wild notes like slight hints of cat urine, but it doesn’t last much. Mouthfeel: decent salivation, a little oily on the top / Stomachfeel: good Astringency: no Qi: fast and relaxing qi at the beginning… and after a while it became stronger and maybe a little hypnotic, then I stopped paying attention. I think this tea is complex and interesting. At the beginning the aftertaste is not great despite some good huigans, but it doesn’t last. After a few brews a slight but promising musky(?) agedness flavor appears. The qi was strong during this session. There are better 2005 shengs to drink right now but this one has clearly lots of potential, even if I’m not the right person to say that.