1994 Semi-Ripe Da-Yi Brick 250g

This was my first foray in any semi-ripe pu-erh so this was a nice experience . As the name suggests, it is a semi-ripe or (cooked) pu-erh of 1994 vintage. The surface of the brick did not show any signs of improper storage and smelled fantastic.












From my first inspection, the leaves were nice and tight and for the most part were all uniform in color. It had come with its original wrapping paper, which was definitely a plus.


Brewing Parameters:
Source: Houde Asian Art









Water-Bottle spring water, generic brand. Source of water Lafayette Springs, WS

Amount – 4.5 gm

Water temp - Boil

Method - Gongfu/2 washes

Brewing Vessle - Yixing Teapot 120ml

Infusion times
1-15s
2-12s
3-15s
4-18s
5-21s

First Infusion.
Aroma - My first impression of the aroma was nice and floral. Somewhat sweet, which smelled more like shu than sheng.

Taste - No bitterness with a nice silky mouth feel; not very striking

Second Infusion
Aroma – Same aroma however more invigorating. Hint of hay. More sweet and floral this time.

Taste – Same as previous. Still has a nice viscosity that coats the throat. Taste a hint of asparagus this time. Taste really lingers after the swallow.

Third Infusion
Aroma – Noticble decline, however the aroma of hay has been replaced by sweet grass.

Taste – Still nice and silky. The asparagus taste is now gone. Still pleasantly sweet on the sides of the tongue.

Didn't feel the need to comment on the fourth and fifth brews as I felt the first 3 brews are the most telling.

Spent Leaves -

This particular brick did not come with a recipie code, and as a consquence leaf grade is unknown. However, I think it would be pretty safe to suggest that they are lower grade leaves. Interestingly, you can see the blend of the ripe and sheng leaves.

I was disappointed in its durability as it only went 5 rounds. I was hoping that being a semi-ripe brick it would have the longevity of an aged pu-erh.

All in all, it was a nice session. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but still a great find. I do not think that this particular example will benefit from further aging. Nonetheless, I will drink half of the brick now and try it again in the next year to see if my assumptions are correct.