Today’s tea is the 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou Puer. I snagged this cake at the World Tea Expo 2016 but it is available on Amazon! This puer is Lingcang material.
I had asked LongRun what was their oldest shou was and they directed me to this 357 gram cake. 2005 is actually the date they rewrapped this tea. They bought a factory and these cakes were part of that acquisition, so likely they are older. I went blind on this one as I got a deal and was hoping for some good old shou.
Dry Leaf and Steeping Method
The 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou is a really compressed cake, it looks like a solid mass. The scent is wonderful like a well cared for library book.
To my surprise, the cake breaks pretty well. The leaf gives way to the puer pick, letting me break off sheets like no big deal.
I did nothing new for steeping this shou, boiling water, 1 gram to 15ml, and 2 rinses.
Tasting of 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou Puer
Wow, a beautiful colour! The 2005 Ruyi shou comes out a ruddy mahogany that is nice and clear.
First and Second Infusion: The 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou sips in woodsy and bright. It is thick on the lips. The flavor is quite sharp of wood without being intense. Lots of oomph. It is a little on the stale side, like old drift wood. Sipping I can tell this has been dry stored, there is no humid or wet taste. The tea is not bitter or dry. There is no funk or fish taste.
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Infusion: Smooooth. Lightly creamy and finishes bright, woodsy, and quite sweet. A very mellow taste and is easy to drink. The flavor is clean, crystal sweet like pure sugar cane. After each sip my lips feel like they are oily and melting. The aftertaste is a bit of library book and driftwood. It is like comfort food in a gaiwan.
Sixth and Seventh Infusion: The wood is deepening in flavor, it’s barky and a little coarse, poking you to wake up after drinking rounds of smooth as baby butt shou. The aftertaste has cleaned up without a library book taste. This tea is mellow and smooth, I feel like I should be knitting all the Christmas gifts right now, snuggling up by the fireplace with my bunny… who will eat the ball of yarn when I’m not looking. That bugger rabbit, he chews yarn with this blank glazed look like he is possessed. It is in his blood to destroy everything.
Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Infusion: Wowza that is sweet! It is very strong, sweet mineral, sugary, bright, and super clean tasting. The 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou isn’t woodsy now. Not dry at all, still thick lip. So sweet, it is like I’m drinking dessert.
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Infusion: Long steeps here, a 10 and 30 minute run. Sips in like straight up only mineral sweet. really strong mineral sweet. The tea keeps going despite barely giving off colour. It is like clear looking down the filled gaiwan. The thick texture is gone. This tea is driving me crazy. I really wanted to switch to something else but it kept going and going. Longer and longer steeps, but just as sweet and delicious.
Fifteenth Infusion: Three hour steeping here. I left my gaiwan steeping for 3 hours. When I came back, it was room temperature. The tea still had flavor! It was actually a shift as it tasted like dates, but still sweet and mineral. Very good! Not a lick of dryness.
Comments
If you want a clean tasting and never quitting sugary sweet shou, this is your tea. You don’t need sweet tea, just chill the final steeps of 2005 Ruyi LongRun Shou Puer and you are set. This shou is likely bombproof as it never got dry, funky, or overly strong. If you are looking to get some decent tea on Amazon, 2005 Ruyi LongRun and others are there!
This one is quite nice, easy to drink, super chill on the stomach. A good drinker for someone with a sensitive tea stomach and doesn’t want a weird wet dank basement taste. I love the sweet and oomph bright power of the notes, without being funk. It does seem pricey, but it is a full 357 gram cake with age on it.
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