Liquid Proust's 2020 'Exquisite Poetry' Young Sheng Review

Title.

This tea is a pressing by Liquid Proust of Kunlu material from Crimson Lotus' stock.

I prepared 5.49 g of the tea in a 100 mL gaiwan.

Dry Aroma: After warming the gaiwan, I let the leaves sit inside and soak up the warmth. The aroma was strongly of milk chocolate with mild planty hints.

Rinse: The wet aroma was much more planty, with a brighter tendency. Rinse was promising, some sweetness, hints of bitter.

1st steep: Overall taste was mild. Introductory stewed grape leaf plantiness and mild umami gave way to an open patch followed by a rousing crisp sour melded with bitter finish, which became the aftertaste. Mildly oily and viscous mouthfeel. After a few minutes, qi was noticeable in the forehead and scalp after even the first brew.

2nd steep: Grapeleaf plantiness persists, with a more sweet hint as of the suggestion of huigan replacing the open patch. Sour/bitter persists strongly, giving good backbone. Strong qi, relaxing in nature.

3rd steep: milder overall. Sour/bitter note remains at the end of profile, but is informed by a more convincing huigan sweetness, giving the overall impression of lemonade. Astringency is now more noticeable. A brighter, almost fruity juiciness helps the lemonade idea. Qi is spreading to shoulders but remains concentrated in forehead, scalp and cheeks. Eyes are focused loosely.

4-5th steep: Fruity sweetness strengthens and takes over profile. The sour note lessens drastically; overall effect is one of pineapple, if pineapple were less sweet and more planty. A dairy suggestion takes up the middle and end of profile.

6-7th steep: Huigan and creaminess, mostly steeped out now I think. A nice calm and gradual non-confrontational finish. Qi is comfortable and heavy and relaxing.

Upshot: The complexity of this tea isn't overwhelming by any means, but its natural bitterness which melds with sour, almost citrus hints gives a strong foundation to early steeps. The evolution of the taste profile over subsequent steeps is entertaining. Mouthfeel is a pleasant but not overwhelmingly standout viscosity; a firm presence. Qi is notably strong and mellowing. Overall, a nice young sheng to have around but nothing astonishing.

Rating (take with a grain of salt, as with all numbers based ratings):

Profile - 6 : Fleshed out 3 dimensional profile.

Qi - 7: A solid warmth sensation combined with heightened introspection.

Mouthfeel - 6: Solid and undeniable viscosity.

Aftertaste - 4: Mild but uninteresting.

Longevity - 5: Weakness at around 6th steep.

Huigan - 3: A weak sweetness.

Aroma - 3: Little to no aroma.

Overall Weighted Rating: 48.3/100