Humid ripes express “petrichor” as a prevailing characteristic. “Petrichor” possesses mineral attributes often described as “the atmosphere after light rain.” Humid ripes tend to be very different from raws in regard to this mineral trait, but they are similar in terms of camphor expression. Camphor is generally associated with the oral sensation elicited by mint, qualities associated with wintergreen or peppermint but also manifesting a range of volatility associated with medicinals, like band-aids, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. While some humid raws often pose quite a challenge given traits like rotting garbage or stagnant water, ripe puerh tends to be surprisingly devoid of microbial mayhem, manifesting a clean, vibrant earth quality. Finally, and perhaps stating the obvious, humid type ripes occur at any stage of the supply chain. Some ripes are created by the producer or at various storage depots on its way to market. Humidity affected here in Los Angeles tends toward a lighter effect. This is to say that petrichor is on more equal footing with traits typical of well-stored ripes that aren’t humid.
’14 Purple Sky Jade Slick
Super sweet, molasses and date medley. Trademark Zhongcha light fermentation style. Strong, intoxicating qi. Crafted from Menghai raw material from elevation of 1600m. In Los Angeles since May ’21.
’12 Operation Macau
Sweet camphor and petrichor. Explosive camphor top-note aroma, underneath cocoa and minerality. Brown sugar sweetness, good intensity. Macau natural humid storage. Xinghai processed, commissioned by Macanese vendor. Latest acquisition in May ’22.
’11 Mineral Roast
Deep petrichor in dry heated pot translating to roasty-minerally broth. Medium sweetness and medium-thick texture. Tannic and roasty upon pushing, coffee character. Stored in Los Angeles since Sept ’22.
‘10/11 Medicine Shop
Immediate sweetness, deep petrichor, minty camphor, dark chocolate bitterness. Medium-heavy density. Certified organic. Bulang material. Bulang qiaomuwang. Laoman’e TF. Stored from Oct ’20 and Oct ’22.
’08 7262
Deep petrichor, full sweetness, bold dark chocolate bitterness. Menghai broad-leaf material. Medium compression. Xinghai Tea Factory. Stored in LA since Jul ’22.
’07 Daily Friendly
Friendly smooth daily brew. Petrichor, light chocolate, and light brown sugar. Light bitterness at tongue tip and roof of mouth, with instant sweet and glossy mouthfeel. Stored in Los Angeles since Jun ’21.
’06 Banzhang Ripe King
Chocolate cake. Digs deep into the throat, probably the throatiest ripe in The Collection. Very soft stone compression. Banzhang shengtai gongting material that top-tier vendor Fujin gave to Xinghai TF for their renowned fermentation technique. Stored in Los Angeles since Feb ’21.
’05 Yiwu Commission
Camphor, malt, and milk chocolate medley. Du Qiong-zhi, one of the Menghai Five Golden Flowers, commissioned by private party. Stored in LA since April ’21.
