When I first encountered this 98 Meng Hai “Lu Yieh Zi (Green Leaf)” Yieh Shen (Wild) Chiao Mu (Arbor) beeng in Taiwan around 2001, it was not very well known to the market. It did not get the fame it deserves until the 2006 No. 18 issue of Pu-erh Teapot magazine, when several 98 select cakes were blind tasted and this cake was picked as the most favorite by several judges. The fact that this cake was still considerably cheaper than its younger brother, the 99 Green Big Tree, caused quite a stir among collectors to try to get their hands on this piece before its price was “corrected”!

Then, in 2007 No. 21 issue of the Pu-erh Teapot magazine, they put together all those from 1992 to 2000 vintage “winners” in the past blind tastings before 12 judges. This 98 Meng Hai cake was again ranked fairly well (click right to see the larger image in this tasting).

This cake had went through more humid “traditional Hong Kong” storage in its early life. The ripe mellowness and superb sweetness for such a not-so-old pu-erh reveal the fact. Luckily, it has been later stored in a clean and dry environment for several years, so there is no any unpleasant mustiness in its aroma. The fragrance and taste are both clean, multi-layered in a really enjoyable round and smooth finish.

A cake of this kind of quality and storage history not only ages slightly faster, but the aroma tends to develop more lotus, plum and medicinal traits. A lovely hint of spicy woodiness has been developed in the taste.

Interestingly, in “Pu-erh Clinic” seciton of No. 21 issue, there is a case study of “genuine vs. faked” 98 MengHai Yieh Sheng Chiao Mu beeng. A Guang Zhou collector bought a piece of this cake and showed off to his friends. But the more they discussed, the more they became suspicious about the authenticity of their cake. So they contacted the magazine and had Mr. Chen Chi-Tong to appraise it. Ooooppss.. it was a real “fake” that they bought! Not only the “Yun” character on the wrapper is different from the genuine one, the faked one did not have the nei fei embeded on the cake, not to mention the quality difference:

It is a very easy to approach and enjoy aged pu-erh. The brewing strength is truly remarkable; I could make more than 10 brewings and there was little sign that the tea wanted to quit. While there is plenty of sweetness, the structure is quite solid and heavy that you get the message as how serious the tea is.

Click to see the pictures I took before I did my tasting. Cake and sample are both available on Hou De.

Guang