Pureleaf

I know, I know – it has been a great while since I’ve been able to post on here, however all has been good and life continues to speed up as the family grows older. I have NOT stopped drinking tea. In fact, there is not a day that I can remember that there hasn’t been at least a few cups that find their way to my lips. Most days, it is several pots of tea that comfort and keep me while on the go.

Anyway, here is a little concerning the tea:

This one still holds its character of a young sheng, however there is already a certain smoky, medium soupiness to the brew. The bitterness is mild considering the production date and leave a satisfying astringency to top of the tongue. I’m certainly looking forward to tasting this one a couple more times over the next week or two, as well as setting some back for a taste in a couple years. This one, I believe, can grow in it’s complexity as it ages.

For a slightly longer review of this tea, along with a few pictures – try my new(er) blog: http://www.southern-sips.blogspot.com/#!http://southern-sips.blogspot.com/2013/03/2011-yunnan-south-hill-waxy-purple-puer.html

This one was completely different from what I thought it would taste like, however it is really good! For some reason, I was thinking a little darker, more roasted or possibly close to some of the Oriental Beauty that I’ve had. This is not the case here.

Both the dry and infused leaves did not change in its consistency of fresh cut spring grass and wild onions. There is a certain bothiness to the liquid that is full and satisfying. It is very easy to sip this tea, with its smooth green tea-like qualities that ends the mouth with a touch of sweetness.

I found the leaves to be of excellent quality and completely enjoyed watching the leaves unfurl a little after each infusion. This tea is perfect for experiencing with a gaiwan!

There is a small, I mean very small amount of astringency detected if the water temp is much above 185 °F, however I tried it closer to boil and found it still pleasant – not offensively overpowering. No matter the steep time or water temp, the tea was found to be very forgiving – which is uncommon with most greener oolongs. They can be quite cantankerous, and refuse to be nice or sweet if not given their cooler pool of water.

Great job, as I’m finding is usual, to Thomas and the team at Siam Tee Shop with this one! Very nice greener oolong!

Whoa!!! I really wasn’t truly prepared for this tea. It is nothing short of amazing – no joke. Cutting to the chase, it’s a mix between a Taiwanese Sun Moon Lake and Laoshan Black that I’ve had from Verdant Teas. Yes, I’ll go on the record and say it’s that good!

After warming the gaiwan and letting the heat activate the dry leaves as they sit with lid closed for 5 seconds. There are wonderful notes of ripe apricots and fresh cut sugar cane. Add a little hot water for 5 seconds, for the first infusion, and you now have an aroma of raisins, oven dried apples chips and interestingly enough, buttery hominy.

The liquid definitely has the fruitiness similar to some of the Taiwanese Black Assamica strain that I’ve tried, along with a complimenting light coca creaminess. It is very smooth, bright and leaves a clean, minty taste to the mouth – without any bitterness!

I must say, THANK YOU to Thomas at Siam Tee Shop for this one! It was included in a sampler that I purchased and I’m really glad that he was generous to release this lovely tea. I would not have been offended (now that I have tasted and seen its great brew), if he would have hidden and kept it to himself. You couldn’t blame him at all! Wonderfully delicious black tea!

You check out this tea and decide for yourself here: http://siam-tee.de/product_info.php?products_id=41

You will not be disappointed!

Very nice shu puerh! This was one of the ones I was waiting to try for quite some time and I was not disappointed.

I love the smoothness of the sip and the strength to its brew. Really does well with a GongFu styled shorter steeping. The liquid has plenty of body and is not watered down tasting. This allows for quick reload of your next cup and works perfect for the impatient tea drinker. No need to wait here, steep for 7 seconds in your gaiwan and you are all set – time to pour and sip!

There is very little fermentation smell or taste – more fresh uncovered earth or moisten moss. Greener, not old musty. I found no bitterness at all, no matter the steep time (I did allow the leaves to steep longer a couple times, to gauge it’s character under the Western steeping style. It’s all about knowledge and full experience, for me that is).

There were some cleaner, almost medicinal properties to the tea that I noticed the longer I drank. One surprise I found, somewhere around cup 4-5, was a numbing sensation towards the front of the mouth and concentrated on the tip of the tongue. This was most enjoyable and added depth to the overall interaction with this tea and its wonderful complexity.

I’m sure that I’ve missed a few points that are needed to be stated, however my mind is not able to put all the necessary words together. I guess what is written will have to be the only voice at this time. If there is any question of what I’m trying to say – I really enjoyed this tea!

Thank you Stacy at Butiki Teas for this wonderful sample!

Where do I start here? There are so many thoughts concerning this tea and it’s uniqueness. Let me state as we see with this tea, like many other things, it’s possible for other cultural groups to adapt and adjust it to their own region.

Wikipedia voices the following http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea:

Please note, I consolidated the main parts from this article to illustrate the theme of processing provinces.

“Pu’erh tea is a variety of post-fermented tea, specifically Dark tea, produced in Yunnan province, China… There are a few different provinces, each with a few regions, producing dark teas of different varieties… Those produced in Yunnan are generally named Pu’er, referring to the name of Pu’er county which used to be a trading post for dark tea during imperial China. While Yunnan produces the majority of pu’er, other regions of China, including Hunan and Guangdong, have also produced the tea… In addition to China, border regions touching Yunnan in Vietnam, Laos, and Burma are also known to produce pu’er tea, though little of this makes its way to the Chinese or international markets.”

As one can see, this tea doesn’t necessarily follow these normal sources for production and in my opinion, makes this tea even more intriguing!

Using the full portion of the sample in my gaiwan with boiling water, allowing for 7 seconds steeps, I found a sweet fermented sourness to the sip. Yeah, I thought that too – sounds weird, tastes GREAT! You can smell and taste a soy likeness with sauteed onions and roasted corn. Definitely reminds me of some teriyaki dishes that I’ve had from time to time, of which this makes the tea a very nice mid-afternoon or early evening. I could see this being a “dinner tea” in contrast to a “desert tea”. The difference is you could bypass a meal and easily substitute this tea for a soup of some kind.

After the 2nd or 3rd infusion (sorry, lost track), I started letting the leaves steep a tad longer – somewhere around 30 secs. This brought out a bitterness and taste that resembles acorns (yes, as a child I was curious:), then turned to a good astringency. With the longer steeping, it is certainly a full bodied tea, with a lingering tangerine/grapefruit citrusy.

Overall, I must say I’m pleasantly pleased with this tea. Very nice! Thanks again, Stacy for this wonderful addition to your offerings.

What a wonderful and delightful tea from Butiki Teas!

I was quite surprised by the recommended water temperature for this one, as it appears to be a much greener oolong for that temp range(normally speaking). One thing I have learned and never hurts to try, is the company’s steeping instructions. The instructions did not guide me astray. They were perfect!

The tea’s leaves are medium darkness, but certainly leans more to green than roasted. Once you add the water and give the leaves its first rinse, you really see the nice spinach color come to surface.

The taste is sensational, with its floral, creamy and very light, but thick fullness. There is a cleanness, almost mintiness to the tongue. Has a lot of similarities to a First Flush Spring Green Tea, yet with a butteriness. Very satisfying and comforting, especially to the tummy. I really need this tea right now, so I’m glad to have this one on hand to keep me relaxed. Last week was a very long one. Monday’s are usually the days that we feel the impact of the preceding week. Glad for this cup.

One last thing, I’ve been working on these same leaves all day and they show no signs of depleting its great quality liquor. I will definitely have to come back to this one again later on in the week. It has a great character and shows great promise to becoming a favorite. Thanks again, Stacy at Butiki Teas for your excellent service and outstanding products!

For the full review and pictures, see: www.southern-sips.blogspot.com

There was plenty for me to learn concerning this tea, most importantly of it potency. This was my first Xiaguan tea, and I guess they are known for their strength. No words could describe or indicate the pungency and bitterness from this tea. I prepared it with the same amount of leaves as my other puerhs and oolongs – enough to cover most of the bottom of the gaiwan. This I found out was not such a great idea! My mouth was insulted with its bitterness and my stomach began to speak to me as well, because of this dreadful brew. After trying several infusions, there was no found “mellowed/sweet tea”, again promised by the retailer. This almost discouraged me altogether pursuing this tea at this time, maybe more time is needed to allow this sheng to age.

I must say that the owner of the online shop, was most helpful and willing to guide me to this tea’s sweetness and mellowed taste. It only took me a couple more settings with this tea to finally get what was desired. The trick all came down to lessening the amount of tea used. It really only took about 1/4 the leaves of what I normally use and shortening my steep to 5 seconds instead of 15, to bring out the best from this Tibetan brick. There really is a sweetness and very nice savoriness to this tea, once all the right conditions are met. I’m glad that I now do not have to wait a few more years to try this one again – it will certainly not last that long now!

Extra leaves, hotter water temp and shorter steep time takes this one to a different taste range! There is a citrusy pungency that shocks the senses, then heightens the taste buds for the next transition of taste – pumpkin! Imagine that, what a brilliant concept – Pumpkin Creme Brulee to taste pumpkin-y.

As stated in my first taste log, this is a very nice tea with nice quality to its leaves and liquid. Really nice way to start off the November as we now see that 2013 is almost here. On that thought, I need some more tea! Way too much to do at the moment. Good times.

Rating going up!

After a few more times of actually trying this tea at several steep times, using more leaves and varying water temps – this is a great tea! This tea taste even more wonderful as it cools. There is tons of unique fruity flavors that come out from the liquid, that range from appley to peachy to apricots. Very interesting and delightfully delicious!

See my previous tasting notes for an expanded review.

Thank you Zen Tea for this very nice sample! It is much appreciated.

This tea combo of Genmaicha and Matcha is a very nice treat,when looking for something more than the traditional green or oolong tea. There are faint toasty notes from the puffed rice (which would satisfy the longing for an oolong:), however there is much more complexity than most teas in this class.

There is a fresher, more fuller taste to the tea than other Sencha grades that are usually coupled in the Genmaicha. Zen Tea’s claim of “made from only Ichibancha (tea from the first harvest of the year)”, seems to hold up to its claim. The brew tastes more like a smoothie of some sort, which may be attributed to the addition of the matcha. Whatever may be the case here, it is really good and stands alone in the Genmaicha category.

You can really taste the green tea, yet with a creaminess and very smooth, non-bitter sip. The quality of the leaves are not disguised behind an extra dose of roasted puffed rice, intended to hide it’s shortcoming. I like the fact that you can evaluate the tea, well – for its leaves.

This tea may not be for everyone, especially if you do not normally like the taste of greener teas – this is certainly a GREEN tea and that’s what you get. If however, you love perfecting the lower water temp to ensure the sweeter, buttery and creamy characteristics of a green tea – don’t pass this one up! You can really play with this one quite a bit. I actually used about twice as much as normal in my gaiwan and shorten the steep time and found great success. Very tasty!

Revisiting this one after quite some time. For some reason, I have developed a strong liking to Ginseng Oolong. Maybe, it’s because my taste are still developing. It’s possible, this development is due to try several different ones. Nonetheless, this tea is excellent and my previous rating must be adjusted. With the quality that I find from multiple infusions, the rating is now raised!

It’s hard to compete with a yin/yang type of taste during and after the sip. The first texture is brisk, yet a good dryness, almost bitter – that carries an overall ginseng taste. The dryness swells and becomes sweeter, then more minty. It is a very nice lingering tea.

Definitely delicious! I’m glad I tried this one again!

Let me start by saying that I’m not that much of a flavored tea type of drinker. There are few that I’m willing to try, and those are usually peachy or citrusy blends. This one is an exception, mainly because it is very fitting for the transition into the fall season. The other motivating factor in selecting this tea was its appeal to non-tea drinkers that are searching for new “fall flavored” drinks – by this, I mean my wife. She will NOT try any of my other teas, of which is disappointing and frustrating at times. My only shot of persuasion is using other trusted friends to peer-pressure and offer teas that are flavored to drinks that she loves already. Maybe – one day. So far, no luck on this one. She did say that she MIGHT try it. Let’s hope.

Let me now tell you the dry leaves smells very chai spice-like at first, however this changes quickly as they are steeped. It’s as if the natural flavoring and tea leaves come alive and transform into something entirely different. It smells almost identically as to what you taste during the sip. The infusion produces a medium dark red colored brew, that is smooth and brisk with a semi-mellowed body. The crème brûlée flavoring adds an extra creamy thicken texture, of which pushed this one over the top in winning over my taste buds. I actually was a little sad to not have time at the moment to get more than three cups of this down before leaving for work.

Even if I am not successful on convincing my spouse into trying this tea this go around, it certainly got me on board. Another great creation by Stacy at Butiki Teas. Very nice!

I’m really sad that this box is now done! It’s hard to believe some tea fairies have stolen my tea in the middle of the night and now I’m left longing for more of this wonderful cup! :) Seriously, I’m pretty sure that I didn’t even share this tea, other than a second steeping with the kiddos. I was such a hoarder. It will be missed, at least until I can get some more. One of the best, smoothest Indian teas that I have ever had. IMO – it’s a cupboard keeper or must.

See my first tasting note for further info or description on this tea.

Thanks, to my good friend tunes&teas for sharing this with me.

At last, I finally get to try this lovely Laoshan Black tea! The dry leaves are so dark, twisty and shimmery. The smell of the pre-steeped leaves are chocolaty and sweet.

It’s so hard to comprehend the diversity and variety in the black tea family (all teas for that matter), such as – the region that it is picked, altitude of origin, soil conditions, climate, season of harvesting, level of oxidation, method of processing and many other things. You can really have unlimited options to try and experience. I truly enjoy this about our shared passion of the leaf. It’s teas, such as this one, that truly drive the point home and make you aware of the complexity and potential of great tea. Even smelling the dry and wet leaves, knowing all the info concerning the tea and it’s background – none of these things replace the experience of tasting the tea for yourself!

This tea truly delivers all the hype and advertising. Once the leaves are infused and you try it for yourself, you find that it is far greater than what the smell or aroma indicated. Yes, you taste the rich cocoa base, but there is a cinnamon creaminess that is present as well. The brew is full bodied and has a nice texture or feel inside the mouth. Very smooth.

I started with 3 sec steep on the 1st, then 7 sec on 2nd, 12 sec on 3rd, 17 sec on 4th, 23 sec on 5th, 30 sec on 6th, 2 min on 7th. Each of these produced a very tasty cup of tea and there was no found bitterness during each of the infusions. One interesting thing that I noticed, was that after 3 or 4 steepings, the wet leaves had more of a fresh hot pepper smell to them – green Thai peppers or red habaneros. I didn’t not, however notice any of the spiciness in the brew. That would have added an extra little kick!

This is a great tea and is best suited for a time when you are not in a hurry and can allow the tea give all that it is desiring to release. Of course, you can drink it on the go! Just don’t throw the leaves away. The rested leaves while you are gone will be more than ready to pick back up where you left off. Very nice tea indeed!

These soft twisted downy black tea leaves are long and slender, with a coloring that is just as wonderful as the cup – dark chocolate and coppery caramel, intertwined together. It’s hard to get past the beauty of the dry leaves, but truthfully the brew is just as grand. Let me say before moving on, the prominent aroma from the dry leaves is of shaved dark chocolate – slightly drier, chocolate dust in smell.

The leaves seem to unify in color during and after the infusion. The liquid is full bodied and carries the cocoa aroma to a creamier molasses taste as you finish the sip. The tea seems to hold out very nicely during each of the steepings.

I started with a longer western steep time on the first infusion, then switched to Gung Fu method for a few cups, then back to western. Now looking back, I should have started Gung Fu, then switched to western to get the best take on how the tea really develops. Nonetheless, I’m pretty sure that I enjoy a little longer steep time on this one, in order to get a little bit of the drier astringency feel to the mouth. At least that’s which way I prefer at the moment.

This is a great tea and it certainly speaks for itself. One you must try to fully appreciate it.

Thank you Nuvola Tea for this delicious and unique sample!

What a great idea of offering this very intriguing black tea. It’s always nice to find a good Taiwanese tea, especially a oolong or black – but find a hybrid, now that’s absolutely perfect!

The really long dark strips of tea leaves are more like an oolong, but they are more oxidized to the range of black tea. The taste is sensationally sweet, with some roasted fruity peach notes. The liquid has a pleasant medium fullness with a faint maltiness toward the end of the sip.

This tea is another great reason to love Taiwan teas! Thankfully companies like Nuvola Tea see the need to expose the Western culture to this great treasure. What a privilege it is to experience the long history & tradition of other cultures that celebrate good tea. Definitely a great cup!

Blown away by the intensity of this tea! I’m at loss for words of its complexity and brilliance. You’ll find peppercorn spiciness, sticky rice aroma blended with stewed tomatoes and roasted garlic. There’s something in the flavor that reminds me of pine resin and moisten moss. I didn’t notice any bitterness or harsh/sharp dryness during or after the sip.

This was my first care package from the Verdant Tea Club membership and I couldn’t ask for any better pairing of teas! I’m definitely looking forward enjoying this tea, along with the others sent. Thanks, David and Verdant Tea for providing excellent quality!

These long charcoal-colored Taiwanese Assam leaves have a sweet raisin and creamy cinnamon flavor, that adds to the fuller malty texture & fruity, honeycrisp apple-like base. I found no astringency or bitterness during the first couple steepings and discovered the quality is high enough to deliver a delicious cup even after infusions 4-6.

When I asked each of my kids what they thought of the smell of the tea, not allowing them to actually see it but lifting the gaiwan slightly to allow the aroma to waft out, they sad – “Is that an oolong??” and “Very sweet smelling” I love to keep them guessing and not always depend on what they see when trying new teas. Poor children, they are already corrupted with the world of tea obsession.

As previously stated by Stacy at Butiki Teas, “In the 1920’s, under Japanese rule, Assamica tea bushes were brought to the Sun Moon Lake area of Taiwan. At the time, the Japanese wanted to compete with the British in the black tea market. Since then this Assam has been refined by the Taiwan Research and Extension Station.” I’d say they found a huge success! This would rank as one of my favorite black teas,and am now worried my recent purchase will not last nearly long enough!

If you have considered in the past whether or not to try this unique tea, let me urge you to move forward. I can think of no reason to delay any further. Splurge. Treat yourself. :)

Thank you Stacy and Butiki Teas for this very delightful creation – absolutely wonderful! Also, a huge appreciation for you helping me out with this gaiwan. I’m really loving it and this was the tea of choice to celebrate this new teaware treasure.

These terrific Anhui Organic Dragon Well leaves with poppy-red colored safflower petals are just as pleasing to the eyes, as the tea is to the palate. Let me confess first – I LOVE grapefruit! So the obvious is understood immediately, when you find that this tea duplicates with great intensity the characteristics of grapefruit. This understandable would not be enticing to anyone opposed to this type of fruit, but for those that enjoy a delightful citrusy treat – look no further!

There is almost every single phase that you would expect of the real fruit. You will find mellow tartness, then a refreshing and cleansing sweetness. The flavor stays consistent even after multiple infusions.

This is a great anytime tea and I’m pretty sure that it would be a very nice chilled tea as well. I may have to try this in the near future. Until then, I will see how many infusions this tea can deliver! Very nice!

These dark leaves have a full body brew, with a smoky citrus taste. Pure smoothness, that is bright with no bitterness – only a good astringency towards the end of the sip, that turns slightly sweet.

Thanks to tunes&tea for sharing this special sample!

This is one crazy complex aged tea. There is certainly noticeable Dong Ding characteristics, however this one brings much more to the cup. The roasty notes are darker, even a touch of char-like quality – not burnt though. There is a mixture of barley and a pleasant hardwood bark flavor – a woodsy roasted tea, with a malty shu-like (puerh) character. There is no detectable astringency, all that is found is a full bodied brew with a silky smooth sip. It slightly sweet, then it not. Very strange – in a very good way. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

The midnight colored leaves remain their darkness, even after several infusions. I found this tea a little tricky to completely unfurl. It’s a very shy tea, that needs great patience and plenty of time to allow it to fully develop and it’s complete personality to unfold. After around 3 or 4 infusions, finally it decides to really come alive!

I personally would not recommend this tea if you are rushed and in a hurry. You simply would only see it as a good tea, and completely miss its greatness. Very nice aged oolong. Another fine job done by Stacy and the Butiki team!

This is a very pleasant and pleasing puerh, with its full and dark brew. The color of the liquid is a deeper reddish coffee and comes off silky smooth from the cup. I found no hint of aquatic or fishiness in the aroma or flavor. There was no discernible bitterness, but rather a good dry astrengency after the sip.

Very nice ripe dark tea with good age and maturity. It can only get better from here!

A very nice mellow tea with sweet honey-coated notes. The brew is light and malty cocoa-like, with an pleasant smoothness. The leaves are definitely of good quality and you you see clearly the 2 leaves and bud after the second infusion. Speaking of the second infusion, it turns more creamy and there is no bitterness that is noticed.

Definitely a anytime kinda tea, but seems very fitting for a first or last cup of the day. Another wonderful treat from Butiki Teas.

This is a very green oolong, that has plenty of smooth buttery notes.The vegetal tone is mellow, as is the color of the liquid, which is a light greenish yellow. Very clean and a tad creamy.

I figured that I would mix things up a bit this time around, and test a lower water temperature and shorter steep time. There is no hesitation in my mind of preference – this method worked perfectly. I’m very happy to have this one as my last cup of the evening. It leaves a very refreshing, slightly minty tingle to the taste buds. I can’t wait to experiment a littler more later on, when I have more time to have multiple infusions, following the above mentioned method (previously, I steeped longer and used a higher water temp, around 195°F for 3 minutes).

This tea pleases me very well. Oh, how I do love me some greener oolongs. :)