Dust

Tonight I broke out the 2005 Dehong Golden Melon. It was one of the first tuochas I ever purchased, and when I first bought it, it was brutal. It had amazing presence and the chaqi was strong but it turned a few of my friends off (likely because they were babies). Two years later, it's still got some bite, but has definitely mellowed a little bit. I rather enjoyed drinking it tonight. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice dust in the cup. I've found this tends to happen more with choppier pu-erh, but is an attribute I've grown quite fond of. It creates a texture that you don't get all the time. An ever-so-slight grittiness and from what I can tell, the source of this tea's strong ku.

Then again, perhaps it's just my beard talking...