richie merritt

This is really nice. I tried a few cups of this when it arrived, and I can tell it’s going to be a really good tea. Smooth and earthy. I like these bricks sometimes for convenience, since they come segmented you won’t need your tea knife. I’ll be back to drink more of this one in 2015… It’s back in the tea cabinet for some aging.

★★★★
I previously reviewed the 2008 Dayi HongYun Pu-erh, I loved it, and have bought several since. I haven’t changed my view on this tea, other than—it’s grown on me quite a bit since my first review.

Also, I highly recommend PuerhShop.com, I’ve been a customer for several years, and I really appreciate the quality and service. Thank you Pu-erh Shop! :)

Tea Notes:
Delicious. Earthy and rich in flavor with a hint of sweetness on the nose. Nice leathery and woodsy flavor notes, a well-rounded Pu-erh. I steep my Pu-erh’s a lot longer than most, because I enjoy them strong, so my reviews might be skewed compared to other people’s liking. The first and second steep are great with this tea, but its rich flavor fades, thins out past where I like it by the third steeping. But that’s not really a negative for me. Delicious and Affordable.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

… still one of my go-to teas. ♥ it.

At the Tattoo Studio really enjoying a cup of this…

★★★★★

Update:
I’ve taken this Wuyi Oolong review from 4 stars to 5.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

★★★☆☆

Flavor Notes:
•Malty
•Sweet
•Astringent (tangy)

★★★☆☆

At my desk in my design studio enjoying the first steep.
I just ordered a new batch of these mini bricks.
I tend to drink this tea quite a bit. I love the smooth earthy and leathery flavors.
One of my go-to teas.

★★★★

Notes:
•Nutty (aroma + taste)
•Toasted (aroma + taste)
•Smooth (starts and finishes smooth)

Steeped Tea Liquor Color: Golden-Amber

A mild but somewhat complex Oolong tea. Extremely clean and smooth with an overall nutty/toasted flavor. No bitter or acidic flavors present. Starts with a toasted flavor, the middle is slightly nutty gradually shifting to a mild hint of fruitiness and it finishes with a fruity and slightly sweet nutty and smokey flavor. (Whew! Yeah that’s what I meant by ‘complex’.) The lingering smokey/nutty flavor left on the palate is wonderful.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

Absolutely deelish… no off tastes and has that nice smooth earthy and leathery flavor that I love in a good Pu-erh. This is a solid Pu-erh Tea, I could drink this one often.

This is my first steep of this tea, so my opinion of it will most likely change as I get to know her better. Off to a great start though :)

Again… the people at PuerhShop.com bringin’ some mighty fine Pu-erhs to the table.
Aside from their wonderful selection of teas, I’m extremely satisfied with their service. Super quick shipping and good prices. I highly recommend them.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★★

Wow… Another hit!

I’ll return later to review this tea in detail after I’ve spent more time with it.

But as far as quality vs. price goes… It doesn’t get much better than this. This could easily be in a much higher price bracket. Way to go Rongzhen :)

According to the PuerhShop.com, only 300 of these puerh cakes were made. So I guess I need to grab a few more of these eh?

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★★

Right off the bat I give this Pu-erh 5 stars.

I’ll return here later with an in-depth review after I’ve spent more time with this tea.

But my initial thoughts on this tea is in line with it being possibly my favorite Pu-erh.

So far, it’s just absolutely delicious.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

-★

Notes:
I’m not normally a Rooibos drinker by any means, but I received this as a gift and tried it.

Nose:
Has a very, very faint aroma of whiskey and flavored pipe tobacco.

Taste/Flavor:
There’s almost no flavor. In fact the flavor is so subtle I can’t really describe it or make an evaluation.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

A semi-high quality organic Tie Kwan Yin.
A nice slight hint of honey on the nose.
Gently grassy and floral with a clean tangy finish.
All the qualities of a good ‘Iron Goddess’ are here…
I don’t think I would classify it as Monkey Picked quality, but it’s very close.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

(Detailed Review Coming Soon)

Notes:
Delicious. Earthy and rich in flavor with a hint of sweetness on the nose. Nice leathery and woodsy flavor notes, a well-rounded Pu-erh. I steep my Pu-erh’s a lot longer than most, because I enjoy them strong, so my reviews might be skewed compared to other people’s liking. The first and second steep are great with this tea, but its rich flavor fades, thins out past where I like it by the third steeping. But I’d buy it again for sure.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★

(Detailed Review Coming Soon)

Notes:
Interesting, this is an Indian grown Oolong tea, one of the first authentic style Oolongs from India. To me it’s very similar in flavor to some Monkey Picked Oolongs (Ti Kuan Yin) I’ve tried, with that distinct toasty aroma and taste, but a bit more acidic—tangier if you will.

Final thought:
It’s a good tea. But I’d rather buy a Monkey Picked Oolong.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★

(Detailed Review Coming Soon)

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

•Dark
•Smooth
•Earthy

Best bang for your buck. A totally delicious Pu-erh for the price. And quite convenient little mini-bricks for on-the-go. I take these to work with me to the tattoo studio and drink ‘em all day long in a tea infuser cup (one brick per cup). I’ll be bummed when they’re sold out. •3 or 4 steeps.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

(Detailed Review Coming Soon)

Notes:
I don’t normally buy/drink Black Teas, but this has me interested. Pretty dang delicious. I’d buy it again for sure.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

★★★★

Update: This has become one of my regular go-to teas. A wonderful rich flavor in every way. If you like ripe cooked Pu-erhs, this is a great one to have in your tea collection. I’m rasing my rating on this one.

Notes:
I’d almost give this 5 stars. For the price (under $10 @250g) it’s basically a quintessential Pu-erh as far as flavor notes go, only very affordable. 85% of the tea I drink are Pu-erhs, and I could probably drink this daily (I actually have been lately). It’s delicious, and better than many expensive Pu-erhs I’ve tried. This tea leaves you with a great ‘Pu-erh High’, a nice clean energy level—perfect after walking and sitting meditation.
•4 to 5 steeps.

My Ratings…
★ = Didn’t Hate It.
★★ = Not Bad.
★★★ = Me Likey.
★★★★ = Impressive!
★★★★★ = AwesomeSauce!

Light and crisp; overall floral and subtly sweet grassy aroma and taste.

Flavor Notes:
•Lightly Floral
•Light bamboo hints
•Grassy in the middle
•Slightly sweet honey finish
•Very clean bamboo finish with a slight sweetness that lingers (for several minutes) in your mouth after you’ve finished your cup.

Aroma:
•Nutty
•Grass
•Floral
•Subtle hint of honey.

This Oolong tea is pleasantly light in flavor, it’s smooth and refreshing. None of the flavor notes stand-out too much.

All of the flavors I mentioned are subtle and gently overlap each other from the second you take your first sip until your last, creating a nice ‘middle of the road’ Oolong tea.

The floral notes are more up front in the first steeping, and by the third steeping the grassier, bamboo flavors are more apparent.

The best part about this tea is the clean (almost sweet) lingering flavor that stays on your palate long after you’ve swallowed your last sip.

Other notes:
Light amber color liquor. Nutty and slightly vegetal aroma on first steeping that gently fades to a more floral one.

Grassy similar to bamboo; overall very vegetal aroma and taste.

Flavor Notes:
•Vegetal
•Artichoke
•Grassy
•Bamboo
•Very subtle hint of a honey finish (sweetness).

Aroma:
•Artichoke
•Grass
•Very subtle hint of honey or honeysuckle light in the background.

(Note: I’m more of a Puerh and Oolong tea drinker. Someone that enjoys a Chinese Green Tea, might favor this tea more.)