Scharp

From 6-9 of June, I will be representing Vicony Teas Company in the 2013 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada!

I have been meaning to review this tea since early April.

Leaf Quality:
Most of the leaves of this Sencha were whole, however, about 1/5 of them were broken rather finely due to their fragility. The dark green leaves smelled sweet and grassy. Some of them had yellow veins running the side of the leaves, but most were a consistent rich green.

Brewed Tea:
The leaves yielded a chartreuse brew that smelled of sweet grass. The flavor wasn’t much different. One thing I noticed about this Sencha was the lack of any bitterness; usually, I find it rather easy to oversteep Sencha. The finishing taste was vegetal and very clean.
Second Steeping
This brew brought out an increased amount of the grassy-vegetal qualities. Perhaps I brewed this steeping a bit longer than the first, but nevertheless the flavor was clean and rather sweet. Not one bit of this tea was bitter, however the grassy notes were heavily pronounced.

This company’s Sencha was not disappointing. The leaves brewed a very fresh, clean, and vegetal cup each time.

Leaf Quality:
The brick looked more green than another Fu Zhuan I’ve had. This tea was comprised of mainly cut leaves and stems; there were quite a bit of stems. As I started to separate chucks of tea from the brick, I noticed “Jin Hua” or “Golden Flowers” growing on the inside. The brewed leaves smelled musty and sweet.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea was medium brown, and smelled sweetly musty just as the leaves did. The flavor was light, sweet, a bit earthy, grassy, and nutty in the aftertaste. On the second sip, mossy undertones were also noticeable.
Second Steeping
This brew was more full-bodied than the first, and wasn’t as sweet. There was a fungal flavor present in the aftertaste this time. The mossy qualities had gone down, but a light earthiness was still present.
Third Steeping
This steeping smelled a bit sweeter than the second, and tasted likewise. A coppery fungal flavor was still present in the aftertaste. The nutty and woody flavors mingled well. The third sip reminded me of honey.

Though this tea had many stems and is comprised of 2nd quality material, I still enjoyed it. This offers quite a good tasting experience given the price. I’ll let the rest of the brick age as it will be quite interesting to see any changes.

This tea was packed in a small bamboo basket. I decided to brew the tea using two separate methods in one full review. The first method is without the bamboo wrapping, and the second is with the bamboo wrapping. It will be interesting to see the differences between the two.

Leaf Quality:
As I opened the top bamboo basket, I was welcomed to a sweet fragrance. The short, dark tea leaves were mostly caked lightly together, however a few on the top were loose. The brewed leaves smelled sweet, chocolaty, and a bit woody. The leaves softened up quite a bit, and some revealed themselves to be a dark brown rather than black.

Brewed Tea:
Without Bamboo Wrapping
The brew was a reddish brown, and completely clear; it smelled sweet and mossy. The flavor was sweet, floral, woody, and very smooth.
Second Steeping
This steeping was sweeter than the first. There was an aftertaste similar to a nutty honey. It was lightly floral, and remained woody through the finish.
Third Steeping
The color of this brew was much lighter than the first. The nuttiness had increased from previous brews. A sweet smoky flavor had also developed in the aftertaste.

With Bamboo Wrapping
The complexion was much the same as the brew without bamboo wrapping. The flavor difference was apparent immediately upon sipping. The tea was sweeter, smoky, woody, and just as smooth. The aftertaste was more noticeable, and tasted the same.
Second Steeping
This steeping was sweeter than the first, paralleling the brew without wrapping. Though the separate methods result in similar qualities of flavor and aroma, they produce different combinations of each. The different combinations of flavor and aroma made this steeping of the bamboo wrapping-infused tea more full bodied and concrete than the other. It tasted woody, sweet, and a bit smoky, but also a bit grassy and nutty in the finish. This steeping had more character.
Third Steeping
I noticed a bit of earthiness in this brew. Perhaps it was the mossy and woody qualities mixing together more. There was a definite nutty aftertaste which lasted quite long.

This tea was very smooth, woody, nutty, and sweet throughout both methods. I prefer to enjoy the tea with the wrapping.

In order to remove the tea, I had to peel the bamboo shell away from the tea. There was quite a bit of bamboo dust caked on the outside of the tea, and it looked like an insect had previously burrowed tunnels throughout the inner wall of the bamboo- perhaps that was the cause of the dust.

Leaf Quality:
After removing as much bamboo dust as I could, I split the cylindrical tea into little cakes and separated the leaves from each other. There were a little bit of “Jin Hua” or “Golden Flowers” growing on the leaves, but the fungus was scarce. The brewed leaves smelled earthy, woody, mossy, and had a slight hint of baking flour aroma.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea was dark brown with a slight reddish hue, and smelled nutty. It tasted earthy, woody, and sweetly grassy. Each sip left a long lasting nutty aftertaste. The tea was very mild
Second Steeping
This steeping was very earthy and nutty. The flavor reminded me of mild pu-erh. The aftertaste this time was sweet and mossy. Each sip was silky smooth and the liquor was surprisingly clear given the bamboo dust that was previously caked on.
Third Steeping
This brew was the mildest. It tasted malty along with the woodiness and earthiness from the earlier brews. It wasn’t as sweet, and the nutty aftertaste had returned. The grassy notes were completely gone.

I decided to brush off any remaining bamboo dust from the rest of the dry tea and stored it in a separate container for further aging.

Leaf Quality:
The long, dark leaves were quite fragrant. They smelled slightly smokey, floral, and fruity. The brewed leaves smelled fruity and sweet. The smokiness wasn’t present as in the dry leaves.

Brewed Tea:
The Oolong was a reddish-brown color. The tea smelled buttery, floral, and fruity. The first sip tasted like honey. Then I began to taste the buttery sweetness from the aroma, as well as the fruity and floral notes.
Second Steeping
The second brew was again buttery-sweet. There was a long-lasting floral aftertaste between sips. The fruity notes changed a bit from the first steeping, but were still present.
Third Steeping
This brew was a golden color. It was also the fruitiest tasting. The aftertaste was more like honey than it was floral. The tea was very smooth, and crystal clear as well.

The tea was packaged in a small bag, which was encased in an ornate silk bag.

Leaf Quality:
The leaves of this Oolong were lightly compressed into a small square brick. I was able to remove every leaf whole by gently wiggling the brick. The leaves were dark green and black, with some white tips showing. The brewed tea smelled very fruity. It reminded me of plum, blueberries, and perhaps a citrus.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea smelled fruity and floral. The brew’s color was a light golden-brown. The tea’s flavor was very delicate. It was sweet, floral, and fruity. The aftertaste was long-lasting between sips, and tasted of honey.
Second Steeping
This brew tasted more fruit-like, both during sips and in the aftertaste. A hint of smokiness was also present.

This was a very light and fruity Oolong.

This is my first review of the year 2013. This is a dark tea, but it’s not a pu-erh. It will be interesting to see how the age has effected this tea.

Leaf Quality:
The leaves were pressed together and were easily separated from each other. Most of the leaves were dark brown, however some looked a dirty green. The tea smelled slightly sweet, and had the earthiness of a ripened pu-erh. The brewed leaves smelled leathery and earthy. They expanded, showing some leaves were quite long and others shorter.

Brewed Tea:
I “rinsed” the tea once, but decided to keep that water in a separate cup. The rinsed brew was a light golden-red color; the first brew was a deep red. The tea was very aromatic. It was mossy, woody, sweet, and fruity. After each sip came a slight earthy aftertaste.
Second Steeping
This steeping was smooth and sweet. The earthy aftertaste was still present, and the moss and wood notes held strong. The brew was very clear, which was unexpected given the storage conditions of the tuo cha.
Third Steeping
In this steeping, the tea had mellowed down a bit. I noticed a more floral aftertaste, and a fruit-like quality different from the previous brews. It wasn’t as smooth as the second steeping, but it retained all the mossy and woody notes as before.
Fourth Steeping
The color of this brew was gold. The earthiness was prevalent, with woody and mossy notes following. The tea was again silky smooth and floral. I liked this steeping the best.

This, on 31-Dec-12, is my last tea review of the year 2012.

Leaf Quality:
I opened a the sample bag to find a generous sample of this Fu Zhuan. Immediately, I could see that there were “Jin Hua” or “Golden Flowers” covering the surface of the sample. As I carefully separated the layers, I found the Golden Flowers to be everywhere, inside and outside. Most of the brick was comprised of leaves, however there were a few stems. The dark leaves smelled sweet. After brewing, the leaves smelled like baking flour but remained sweet and floral.

Brewed Tea:
The brew was a light golden brown. Some of the Golden Flowers managed to float on top. The tea smelled sweet, a bit musty, and floral. It tasted sweet, floral, and had a lingering aftertaste of sweet mushroom. This tea proved to be very delicate.
Second Steeping
This brew was sweet and floral. In the second sip, I noticed a bit of “zing” similar to the sensation of tasting a lemon peel. This same “zing” quality I noticed in another tea that had the “Golden Flowers”. I could also taste the baking flour note more in the finish. There was a slight aftertaste of sweet mushroom. The aftertaste actually reminded me of a ripened pu-erh.
Third Steeping
This brew was very floral. The sweetness remained the same from the second brew, and balanced out the almost grassy aftertaste. There was also a spiciness to this brew, almost like cinnamon. Each sip brought on new flavors.

What a great tea to end the year with. The aftertaste changed with each brew, and new flavors were unlocked with each sip.

Thank you Vicony Teas for the free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The dried leaves were dark black with some bits of gold showing on some of the tips. They were very thin and smaller than other black teas. Their scent was of malt and perhaps like cinnamon. The brewed leaves smelled floral, malty, chocolaty, and savory.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea was amber brown. It tasted floral and malty with a chocolate finish. The flavor was very light and delicate. Each sip had a very long lasting aftertaste.
Second Steeping
This brew brought on notes of grapes and wine. This steeping was also floral and fruity.

What a delicate Hong Cha. This tea would go great at any time of day.

Leaf Quality:
The dark, fragrant tea leaves of this Oolong were tightly compacted into a miniature cake. Before brewing, they smelled fruity and floral. Once brewed, the leaves smelled more chocolaty and sweetly smokey.

Brewed Tea:
I brewed each cup for several seconds with great results.
The brewed tea had an amber-red color. Its aroma was similar to the dried leaves, only a bit milder. It tasted sweet, fruity, smokey, and floral.
Second Steeping
The second brew was also smokey and sweet. This tea had all the attributes of a Wuyi Oolong.
Third Steeping
I really liked this steeping. It was wonderful with fruit notes and sweetness with a chocolate-like finish.

I’ll save the other cake for aging to see how it changes in a couple of years.

I saw this on the ChaWang Shop website and thought it looked very interesting.

Leaf Quality:
The dry tea leaves were large and felt rather dusty. The appearance looked similar to tree bark or brush on the base of a forest in autumn. The leaves smelled sweetly musty, and with good reason. There were tiny, yellow fungi growing on the leaves called “Jin Hua” or “Golden Flowers”. A bit of earthiness was also present in the aroma. The brewed leaves turned a darker brown from the original grey hue they were. They smelled like earthy, musty honey, and had the texture of dry paper. Only some of the “Golden Flowers” remained visible, as most seemed to have disappeared into the brew.

Brewed Tea:
I “rinsed” the tea once, and then brewed it several times. The resulting brew was a pale golden color. The brew smelled mossy, earthy, and musty. The taste was somewhat similar. The first flavor I noticed was the mustiness that had been present in the dry leaves; the second flavor was rather sweet and earthy. Each sip was completed with a mushroom-like finish. The first brew was very interesting, and rather enjoyable. There was a very sweet aftertaste from this cup.
Second Steeping
This steeping tasted musty and earthy, but also had a bit of “zing” that the first brew didn’t. Each sip rested like lemon peel on the tip of my tongue before I could notice the other flavors. This was a very sweet tea. The mushroom-like flavor and earthiness increased .
Third Steeping
This brew tasted much like the second. It was sweet, musty, earthy, mossy, and zingy.

This was quite an interesting tea. I didn’t expect it to be as musty as it was, but that quality did not detract from the experience. I actually liked its presence among the other flavors.

Thank you Chawangshop for this free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The tea was entirely comprised of golden, furry buds. Immediately upon opening the sample portion, I noticed a chocolaty aroma. The brewed leaves smelled sweet, malty, and chocolaty as well.

Brewed Tea:
The golden leaves created a golden-brown brew. The liquor didn’t have the usual reddish hue of black tea at all. The tea smelled just as the brewed leaves did: malty, sweet and chocolaty. There was a tiny floral hint to it as well. It tasted light, floral, and sweet with a chocolate finish. The malty notes were only present in the aroma.
Second Steeping
The second brew was more mellow than the first, and sweeter. The chocolate and floral notes were again present. This tea was not in the least astringent. With each sip, I started to notice the flavor of honey.

This was a great tea. It’s definitely not a breakfast tea, but can be enjoyed any time of the day.

Thank you Vicony Teas for this free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The sample was comprised completely of tea buds attached to another leaf or two. The flat, green leaves were very fragrant and delicate. The brewed leaves smelled sweet, vegetal, and fruity. Their color didn’t change much even after the second brewing.

Brewed Tea:
The leaves created a very light, pale yellow brew. It tasted sweet, delicate, and perhaps a bit nutty in the finish. The first brew beat other dragon well teas I’ve tried by far.
Second Steeping
The second brew was sweet as well. The nutty finish transformed into a more fruity one. I noticed a tiny vegetal flavor underneath the more floral notes.
Third Steeping
The flavor had not changed much since the second steeping. In fact, the only difference was that it was slightly mellower.

This was a really good Longjing tea. I haven’t had a great one in a while.

Thank you Yunnan Sourcing for this free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The smokey leaves were tightly compacted and were a bit dark, showing some degree of oxidation. The rinsed leaves were smokey, slightly earthy and reminiscent of tree bark and moss. The brewed leaves smelled very smokey and mossy as well.

Brewed Tea:
The first steeping proved to be rather strong given the short steep time. I halved it for the second brewing. Nice smokey notes as well as sweet moss and tree bark were prevalent. The light amber liquor had quite some character to it.
Second Steeping
Though the brew time was halved, I still noticed a little astringency or bitterness at the end of each sip. This wasn’t a negative quality, as I actually enjoyed the way that it blended with the other flavors. Each sip was slightly sweet, but this quality was easily overlooked by the smokiness and mossy notes.
Third Steeping
With this cup, I noticed floral notes. However, the smokiness remained the dominant flavor. Sweet, floral, and smoky were an interesting combination to drink. The bitterness was lighter than the first two brews.
Fourth Steeping
In this brew, I noticed a flavor like that of a fungus or mushrooms. This complimented the mossy and woody notes from the earlier brews. The smokiness was still present, and the floral notes grew stronger with the sweetness. This was my favorite steeping.

I really appreciate a nice Sheng pu-erh every once in a while. Again, Thank you for the free sample.

Thank you Vicony Teas for this free sample!

I’ve heard quite interesting descriptions of Tunlu tea; some prefer it as an “every-day tea” while others choose not to drink it as much. I suppose I’ll see which party I belong to.

Leaf Quality:
The yellow-green leaves were rolled into small, floral gems. The scent was a bit strong for a green tea, which hinted at its flavor. The brewed leaves smelled very sweet and astringently floral.

Brewed Tea:
The tea’s color was light yellow. The flavor was milder than I suspected, but the aftertaste lasted a while. Upon my first sip, I noticed the great floral qualities of this tea. My last sip ended with a pineapple-like finish that I hadn’t noticed in the previous sips.
Second Steeping
The second brew was sweet, fruity, and astringent. It already seemed like a good tea to relax with.
Third Steeping
The third steeping was quite delicious. Fruity, sweet, and floral. The aftertaste was still quite astringent.

If I had enough of this tea, I suppose I would drink it as an “every-day tea” in the evenings. It’s quite enjoyable.

This is the third tea cake I ordered from Vicony Teas. The others tasted pretty good so far; I’m hoping this one will too.

Leaf Quality:
The leaves of this tea were loosely compacted in the usual Bing shape. These were some of the whitest leaves I’ve ever seen from a White Peony. Almost every leaf was covered with downy, white fur. Even the leaves of a richer green color had a whitish hue. The initial scent was rather sweet and reminded me of dried roses. The Brewed tea leaves turned slightly darker, were more green, and smelled lightly floral. I could already discern what the liquor would taste like.

Brewed Tea:
The leaves produced a light yellow liquor. It’s scent was very light, as was the flavor. Though light, it sure was delicious. It was sweet, floral, and fruity. It was like a hummingbird drinking nectar. The first brew was excellent.
Second Steeping
The second steeping reminded me of a Ti Kwan Yin Oolong. It was smooth, quite floral, and sweet.
Third Steeping
This brewing was even better than the first two. All the qualities of the second steeping were present, but were more pronounced. Each sip finished with a melon aftertaste that evolved into a citrus one quickly before disappearing.
Fourth Steeping
This steeping was more mellow than the third. However, it was still just as good. The delicate tastes mingled together in this cup. It could easily last 2 or 3 more steepings with longer steep times.

This was a wonderful tea. I’m very glad I bought this, and can’t wait to try the samples they sent me.

This is the second white tea cake I’ve tried from Vicony Teas Company. I ordered this along with another tea.

Leaf Quality:
The leaves in this cake were quite loosely compacted, and showed a variety of colors. I was able to pull apart most of the leaves whole; the majority were brown, others white or melon green. There were a few buds mixed in with the generally larger leaves. They were quite fragrant as well. The scent reminded me of a mildly floral Oolong. The brewed leaves were floral as well, and some expanded to be even larger than I had thought. All leaves retained the same color after brewing.

Brewed Tea:
The tea yielded a golden-yellow liquor which smelled floral, sweet, and fruity. It tasted much more like an Oolong than a white tea, bringing melon qualities with every sip. The flavor was also fuller than most other white teas I’ve had.
Second Steeping
The second steeping was as sweet as the first, and the melon qualities were more pronounced. It didn’t taste as floral as it smelled, but it was still quite delicious.
Third Steeping
The third brew was light and floral. The melon notes were only present with each finishing sip. The aftertaste was sweet.

It will be interesting to see how this tea will change in flavor over time.

I saw this cake on the Yunnan Sourcing website a few weeks ago, and it was very intriguing to me. This is my first review in a while.

Leaf Quality:
The tea cake is comprised completely of golden buds, and was very fragrant. The leaves were tightly compressed and looked very beautiful- I almost didn’t want to break up the cake. The brewed leaves smelled very malty, and also like a red wine.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea smelled very floral. It tasted malty, floral, sweet, and had no astringency. The color was a reddish brown, and the initial scent reminded me of White Peony.
Second Steeping
The second steeping was rather floral as well. The sweetness had gone down a bit, but the malty character was still present. This black tea was very mellow, and had a chocolaty finish.

This was a very good tea. I do not recommend it as a breakfast tea, but more of an “anytime” tea. This would be very good to enjoy in the afternoons. I’ve never had a black tea bing cha before, so this was quite an interesting experience.

Thank you Nuvola Tea for this free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The dried leaves each had a mixture of yellow, light and dark green. They smelled sweet, and perhaps vegetal. The brewed leaves were very vegetal, sweet, and only minutely floral. They were very aromatic.

Brewed Tea:
I brewed the tea 20 seconds for the first two.
The liquor had a light green complexion and smelled vegetal. The flavor was sweet, and quite full-bodied for a green tea. Each sip finished with floral notes. Towards my last sip, I noticed a buttery scent, much like the one I noticed from the other sample Nuvola Tea sent me.
Second Steeping
This cup was again very floral, yet bold. It reminded me of a Gyokuro, and shared several qualities with one. The vegetal notes showed with every sip, as did the sweetness.
Third Steeping
This brew was more vegetal. A bit of sweetness finished each sip, but the floral notes were absent.
Fourth Steeping
I really enjoyed this brew. The sweetness was maximized here, and the floral notes were again present. The boldness of the first three brews had toned down quite a bit. I also noticed a new quality: fruitiness.
Fifth Steeping
This steeping was light and floral. It wasn’t as sweet as the last cup, and the boldness remained the same. The buttery notes showed up in this brew.
Sixth Steeping
Sweet, vegetal, and floral. This cup was a toned down version of the fourth steeping.

I found this tea to be quite bold for a green tea, and was also surprised that the scent and flavor differed as much as it did. I liked the sweetness and floral scent along with the vegetal undertones. Thank you Nuvola Tea!

Thank you Nuvola Tea for this free sample! I didn’t expect this tea to be delivered this soon, so it was a wonderful surprise to find in the mail this morning.

Leaf Quality:
The leaves of this black tea were very long. The dried leaves had a texture that reminded me of charcoal. The brewed leaves were a reddish-brown, and smelled wonderful. They carried the aromas of malt, chocolate, and a slight spicy note- very different than other black tea leaves.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea was coppery-brown in complexion and smelled the same as the leaves. It tasted very mild, malty, and floral with a sweet, minty aftertaste. My second sip yielded a sweet and buttery taste.
Second Steeping
This brew smelled more savory, and tasted more floral. The malt had toned down quite a bit, and was soon overcome by a mild fruity aftertaste. The spiciness from the first brew was absent. I liked this brew more than the first.
Third Steeping
The color of this brew looked more like that of an Oolong. It was floral, sweet, and buttery. This was a very nice tea.

This is a mild, savory, and slightly floral black tea good for any time of the day. Thank you again, Nuvola, for the sample!

Thank you Esgreen for the free sample!

Leaf Quality:
The leaves of this raw pu-erh smelled a bit mushroomy or fungal, and a bit earthy. Every leaf had downy white hairs on them. The leaves were green, white, yellow, brown, and others were black. The rinsed leaves smelled earthy, fungal, vegetal and smokey. Once brewed, they smelled more fungal and woody.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea smelled smokey, mossy, and had a light earthiness. The light yellow-green brew tasted floral, of mushrooms, and was mossy. I was very pleased with the first brew.
Second Steeping
This brew was much more floral than the first, and exhibited less mushroom notes. However, it was just as woody and mossy as the first. Each sip had a slight earthy finish.
Third Steeping
This brew was smokey, floral, and a little spicy. This cup tasted more like an aged pu-erh. Mild earthy notes crept into the last sip.
Fourth Steeping
I really liked this steeping. It was extra floral and sweet. A tiny bitter nut flavor followed. The fungal notes had gone.
Fifth Steeping
The steeps were still holding strong. It reminded me of the third steeping. Smokey, lightly floral, and a bit earthy.

Thanks again for the tea sample!

I received this as a free sample along with my pu-erh gift order. Thank you Esgreen for the sample!

Leaf Quality:
This tea came in the form of compact tea globes. The leaves themselves were easy to separate whole from the ball for easier brewing. The scent was nice, earthy, and mellow. The short rinse I gave the tea globe got rid of all of what little stems there were. The rinsed leaves smelled very mellow as well, and had mossy and malty tones to them. After the first brewing, the tea carried the faint scent of barley and earth.

Brewed Tea:
The brewed tea had a mild mossy flavor with light smokey undertones. This tea has definitely mellowed out over the years. The dark amber brew was very smooth and left a sweet and malty aftertaste.
Second Steeping
The second brew was much the same as the first. Mellow, earthy, malty and sweet with slight smokey undertones. The aftertaste was a bit different. Muscatel notes shown through.
Third Steeping
The smokey undertones mellowed out quite a bit for this brew. In stead, it was replaced with an aftertaste similar to mushroom or fungus. The liquor is getting silkier with every steep, with about the same amount of earthiness thus far.
Fourth Steeping
This steeping had more body then the others. There was a heavier earthy presence along with a woody finish.
Fifth Steeping
This brew was very sweet and had a stronger essence of cooked mushroom.
Sixth Steeping
Though brewed longer, this brew was substantially lighter than the rest. The color was a pinkish-amber. This steeping was as sweet as the previous, but the earthiness had completely left. There were more wood tones.
Seventh Steeping
This was very mellow and sweet. Nice woody notes still held strong.

This was a great tea. This aged rather well in my opinion.

This tea came as a sample along with my Pomelo Pu-erh gift. Thank you Esgreen for the sample!

Leaf Quality:
The dried mini-bing smelled very light, and not very earthy. As I unwrapped it, I noticed a slightly nutty aroma. The brewed leaves smelled very mild and mossy. I could already tell that this would be a very mild pu-erh.

Brewed Tea:
This tea produced a very nice red amber color after the first wash. On the first sip, I noticed the tea was mildly earthy, nutty and sweet. I’m not used to such quiet pu-erhs. The earthy tones blended very well with the other notes.
Second Steeping
What a consistent tea. The flavors were much the same as the first, but much more developed. This tea was not bitter in the least, and actually very pleasant. I very much enjoyed this brew. The finish was slightly buttery.
Third Steeping
This tea has very even tones; each quality balances itself out with the others. This steeping was very sweet, and nutty.

I really enjoyed trying this tea. It was very mellow, but still a bit earthy with mossy and nutty notes.

This was a gift from a friend which I am very thankful for.

What an interesting tea. First off, I’ve never had a Pu-Erh aged in a pomelo before; it’s a rather interesting idea. Secondly, I’ve been wanting to order this, so it came as a nice surprise to find it in the mail.

Leaf Quality:
When I opened the box containing two Pomelos, I immediately got a smokey fragrance like pinewood. It wasn’t too smokey however, and was rather enjoyable. I unwound the metal wire around the fruit and opened the top to find a dark brown bunch of leaves tightly compacted on the inside. Upon braking portions of the tea up, the smokey-pine aroma quickly transformed to that of a smokey citrus. There were some stems, and very compact leaf. Much of the leaves crumbled a bit, while others came out in tiny chunks. The earthiness was not as noticeable as other pu-erhs.

Brewed Tea:
I “washed” the tea for 15 seconds, but kept the liquid in a separate glass. The liquid was light, and mildly sweet with a smokey aftertaste.
First Brew
This brew had a dark tan color. The first steeping was not earthy in the least, which was quite unexpected. In stead, it was smokey and sweet, with a hint of citrus in the finish. The flavor reminded me of a Wuyi Rock Oolong, but less fruity.
Second Brew
The second steeping was again sweet, but more so than the first. The smokiness carried itself through lightly. Citrus notes only showed up in the pleasant aftertaste.
Third Brew
This steeping was very light, and the citrus notes were more prevalent. The sweetness seemed to increase from brew to brew.

This was a very interesting and wonderful pu-erh to try. I’ll definitely enjoy drinking the rest.