2002 Nanjian Teji

Brewed in: gaiwan
Dosage: 2g / 50ml
Dry leaf: For a small tuo like this, leaf seems a good medium size. Semi-aged brownish colour. I detect quite a bit of white frost on the inside. Tasting notes:
20s: Medium brown colour, showing some evolution. Lid aroma is somewhat aggressive and metallic, with a fair bit of wet storage. This tea tastes quite advanced and has definitely had some wet storage (almost tasting like a shupu on attack). Finish is mildly biting, with remnants of past ku. Good personality, but not exactly a mellow or soothing tea.
20s: I kept the brewing time short following Stéphane’s advice (see link above), and the result is pleasant. A lighter colour than before, a mineral-grippy profile on the palate, good length. Flavours are definitely shicang-evolved, but kept lighter than in a shupu.
30s, 40s: This is really biting, grippy tea dominated by wet storage. Lots of expression but also a degree of damp-cellary austerity.
Further brewing are patient (at least 10 are possible with such brewing times) and always a little aggressive; I failed to reach that sweet & smooth stage of truly mature puer.

Looking at the wet leaf, it is for the most part intact and whole or wholish, and good quality. I just wonder about the size. Teji is supposed to be the highest grade of maocha raw material for puer, and I have had some fermented teas (shupu) made of very small new leaves like those used for many Chinese green teas. Yet looking at this 2002 Teji leaves are medium-sized (with some larger ones) and not so different from what is the puer standard. Anyone have comments on this?

Another session in dahongpao clay pot resulted in an even more biting, less friendly tea: I actually preferred the more balanced effect in porcelain. The aggressive dirty earth & damp-cellary character reminded me a bit of the 1990s Loose Yiwu also from Tea Masters, which I reviewed here. Overall this is expressive tea with a very good quality for the price, and useful for people to taste a middle-aged wet-stored puer. I would buy it again.