French Bell (1990s)

French Bell is a unique production from the famous Xiaguan Tea Factory in Dali, Yunnan in the early 1990s. It comes in the tou-cha (bell tea) shape, a sort of calling card of that particular brand (though others have adopted it as well). The genesis of French Bell is actually in the 1970s, the decade in which Shou Puerh was first created. Xiaguan Tea Factory began production of Shou in 1975, and in 1976 an international distributor placed an order for premium Shou for French customers. Xiaguan created the recipe for French Bell specifically for that clientele (in fact, there is French written on the wrapper), and continued to refine it over the next few decades. What we’re tasting this month is an early 1990s production kept by Shou collectors in Hong Kong, where it was stored until the last few years.
    French Bell is a premium Puerh that is mellow in its taste, yet possesses a full body and a lovely hui gan — clean and cooling. It is closer to the woodier side of Shou, with a drying, tannic quality on the tongue early on. Yet fruitier notes will also appear, beginning to appear as early as the second steep, including notes of raisin and dried cherry. Longer steeps bring out a hint of tobacco and a richer, deeper wood — perhaps oak.
    One of the best parts of this tea is its body feel — which comes in sweet, warm waves. In fact, French Bell’s cha qi can verge on the drunken as it has a wandering movement and a humorous nature. The warmth of the qi settles behind the eyes, which is my favorite place to feel cha qi, as well as surrounding areas like the forehead. 
 
Serving size suggestion: 10 grams per 100-150 ml gaiwan or teapot. This tea really benefits from a packed bowl
 
Suggested Clay: Chaozhou