aged and young puerh samples from Hou De

I took some friendly suggestions and tried a couple of puerh samples from Hou De:

• 1996 Chung-Cha MengHai Factory "Orange-in-Orange"
• 2005 Ming-Yuan Hao Yi-Wu Wild Old Tree Cake

(Hou De also kicked in a sample labeled "90's Select Aged NanTou Oolong", but I haven't tried it yet, so that's another episode.)

I prepared these in a series of quick, hot infusions. Both are flavorful and frankly visually beautiful. A real pleasure to drink.

Puehr, unlike most other teas, is intended to be aged for years, decades, or even longer. Over time, the flavor, aroma, and visual characteristics of the tea gradually evolve. The particulars vary from tea to tea and based on assorted conditions, but mellowness tends to increase over time.

The '05 Old Tree was the first I tasted, and it had a lot of *wow* going on. It tasted like a really top end cigar, which I love. I haven't had a good smoke in a looooong time.

By comparison, the '96 Orange-in-Orange was more subtle, and the first thing I noticed was the gorgeous color. The next thing to run through my head was that this is the sort of thing I'm subconsciously longing for when some oolongs seem to be lacking.

I am definitely looking forward to becoming more acquainted with these!