Puerh Junky’s Xinghai Perseverations

Puerh Junky’s Xinghai Perseverations is the catchy phrasing yours truly came up with to capture the past ten days, which are very much like all the other.  The Puerh Junky is sitting upon a massive load of Xinghai productions, acquired mostly in the past two years.  The past ten days had the Puerh Junky visiting at least four Xinghai TF productions.  Xinghai has a resolute house style with astringency being its key trait, elements of apple of various expression often thrown in.  They adhere to strict processing before ’07 and thereafter begin to ease into more of the new style with reserve.  This to say that their new processing is very skillfully executed. In ’22 Xinghai celebrated their 20th anniversary, but they were bought out in ’18 and no offering after ’16 has me interested.  In this Junky’s Log we’ll visit BZ Wild King, Oasis Odyssey, Naka bamboo, and HK Returns 10th.

BZ Wild King

The BZ Wild King is the late 2nd batch offering from an unimaginably expensive production.  It’s the people’s offering.  As mentioned, the earlier second batch is not time-stamped but this is.  In this latest session of winter ’24 the smoke was far more evident than in most sessions.  I noticed a similar smokiness in the Bulang Shengtai Tribute.  Previous sessions only presented with the smoke once.  I presume that that smoke might become more pronounced.  Stunner is the sweetness and a heretofore novel creaminess totally unknown to Xinghai offerings.  It’s shockingly friendly for Xinghai given the sweetness and cream.  There’s a familiar star anise note that often visits productions from XH specifically and the region in general.

Oasis Odyssey

Oasis Odyssey came into the collection in the early part of ’23 as part of the XH obsession.  It’s on the Xinghai Raw page listing.  Initial tastes indicated need for restoration with an already unmistakable “purple” quality.  As it has come into form, more of the characteristic XH astringency has presented itself.  Let’s be clear, Xinghai is astringent, often punishingly so.  Oasis Odyssey is atomically compressed and there’s zero humidity in the flavour, though it completely reflects proper KM storage,  coolish and dry.  Solid everyday drinker for those favouring astringency.  Seems less oily than it was previously.  This may come back as the weather warms.  The Chinese name actually references a top-tier tribute series that seems to come out on a yearly basis with a different wrapper, but this cake doesn’t endeavor to reach such heights, probably because it’s second batch or later.  Pricing is 100% honest in this regard, a solid intro to XH astringency but the characteristic apple hasn’t come through just yet.  .

Naka Bamboo

The Naka Bamboo will have to sit a bit.  It didn’t come in bamboo and the compression is also atomic.  It doesn’t express characteristic Naka traits in terms of cucumber and perfume.  It didn’t come into reserves till Nov ’23 and it will need at least a year to justify the price paid for it.  Although Xinghai does sometimes venture beyond its primary terroir featuring some prominent Yiwu for instance, this Naka may be a kind of one off.  Needs more time, unlisted.  Right now has an interesting sticky rice note and very interested to see how the initial bamboo stage contributes to a marvelous production.

HK Returns 10th

The HK Returns 10th has been tasted often.  It is also on the Xinghai raw page.  The newest progression is of incense with grapefruit.  Previously described as the Xinghai workhorse, it has taken on a much more interesting character.  It’s in a new stage with previous character still expressing.  Transformation traits are expressing along a promising trajectory with decent with a moderate level of sweetness but an oft highly regarded grapefruit/pumello note.  Not particularly bitter.  Huigan forward.

Wrap Up

Puerh Junky’s Xinghai perseverations continue in large part because beyond offering decent value, it continues to demonstrate promise in underlying material and transformational potential.  Seasonality brings out different attributes in performance, thence this Junky’s Log.  The BZ Wild King showed a smokiness heretofore unknown.  Oasis Odyssey has showed more sassy astringency.  HK Returns 10th expresses a layer of incense along with its grapefruit.  Cannot say much about the Naka Bamboo, but it’s good to know about the stages involved before a production gets listed.  The BZ Wild King and HK Returns were both the most surprising, the smoke and cream with the former and then incense with the latter.  Those keen on aggressive style will need to look no further than XH at this stage of the game.