When I first started drinking puerh, I read somewhere that you do not want to buy any celebratory teas. Those are the teas that are usually sold to commemorate a special event opposed to the usual branded cakes. I do not remember what the exact argument against this was, probably that they use leaf material of lower quality or that the cakes are not as prized as other ones.
Following these instructions I have rarely tasted any fancy celebratory teas. That is why I was pretty doubtful about a sample of this 2004 Menghai tea cake created to commemorate "The First China Tea Expo". Apparently only 12 004 cakes were created.
Well, it turns out I really liked this tea. In fact it is probably the best tea from my latest order from Sampletea.com.
The tea is supposed to be made of high quality spring material, and I can really see that. For example, the fragrance is very aromatic with notes of bitter fruits and a distinct tippy/wheaty scent. Even in the taste that tippy note usually found in white tea is clearly present. Otherwise, the taste is very lively and clear with a strong fruity taste and a smoothly fading bitterness on the edges.
I cannot stress enough the powerful aromatics of this tea. It lasts well for many infusions and has a pleasant strong aftertaste. The tea is probably right at the peak of its semiaged cycle, and if I had the opportunity to buy a whole cake, I probably would.
Link to the product on Sampletea.com
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