Smooth vanilla first impression, then comes mellow wood, oud, toasted malt sugar, light molasses. Cocoa and geosmin in the aftertaste. Vanilla top note from beginning to end, pleasant, lingering. Malty sweet round viscosity, but lack of bitterness leaves for light attributes than actual case. Evokes that iconic movie candy Whoppers, the chocolate-covered malted milk balls to die for. Neipiao (inner ticket) reads, “Orchid symbolizes the perfected one, an open valley of lilies and orchids, refined and reserved, plain but not common, fragrant but not extravagant. Orchid: shengtai arbor (qiaomu) puerh from the summits of tea mountains, altitude of 1500m. Silky not heavy, even keeled.” Menghai gongting material. LME brand. Stored in Los Angeles since May ’20.
Laoman’e brand entered the puerh scene in ’03. Their official name is Menghai County Banzhang Tea Factory but are better known as LME. LME’s founder Chen Cai is a relative youngster born only in 1987 to a Lancang family already involved with tea production. Though producing both raw and ripe, it’s the Puer Junkie’s impression that their ripes are a shade more well received. Ripes tend to be on the heavier side of fermentation, excelling in a rich texture and taste with balanced sweetness and solid aging. This brand even enjoys some cache in Hong Kong.
18¢
| Size | 30g, 357g |
|---|
