2002 Yi Wu Ancient Spirit Review (Yunnan Sourcing)

Got a bunch of new aged sheng samples from 1999-2003 today, thank you Yunnan Sourcing!

I tasted this spring Banna tea from 2002 right away. I know this tea will change a bit when it has aired a bit, but I was too impatient to wait and decided to write a review while I was sipping the tea.

Awesome loose leaves that just beg to be brewed and appreciated. The fragrance of the dry leaves is dusty with moist freshness and bright fruity notes.
In the cup the first scent to come through is the smokiness. It dissipates quickly though, and leaves behind a mellow earthiness.

The sweetness of the tea splashes on the tongue as soon as I take a sip of the tea. The liquor is thick, with a clear and easy mouthfeel and no bitterness present. There are very little earthy notes in the taste, but overall it is hard to describe. There is a soft fruitiness with a slight earthy edge.

While my first infusion was slightly underbrewed, the tea did not change much when pushed further in the second infusion. The taste acquires a hint of bitterness though, which gives it some structure.

Even if I was not overly impressed with the tea, I did get a strong rush from it. It is impossible to tell whether the tea has a strong qi, or whether I was just happy to get new puerh. The drinker and the tea are anyway impossible to separate from each other in the experience, in my opinion.

I could not spot that honeylike thickness in the tea, which I usually find in Yi Wu tea. The character of the tea is softer, lighter, and more floral/fruity than honeylike. Maybe this is the character of Banna tea? I do not know, but I will keep drinking and learning.