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So, I got this as a free sample in my latest Yunnan Sourcing order….Thanks Scott! I am sad to learn that this is out of stock for it is a great ripe. This is my first Cha Tou (Nugget) tea and I am very pleased. It has about 5 or 6 years age so it has no funky pile taste and has developed a really smooth flavor. I steeped 7g in 100ml (gaiwan) at 210f. I gave two customary rinses and started with a 10 second steep increasing by a few seconds…though I had to back off a bit once the nuggets started opening up and giving up the goods. It has a very nice honey/raisin sweet smell from the wet leaf. I found myself with my nose stuck in the gaiwan quite often. The taste is not far off the nose. A very nice viscous mouthfeel with a raisin and enjoyable tobacco sweetness. There were hints of honey and even a bit of cinnamon spice on the 4th steep. I have gone seven steeps so far with no signs of this giving out anytime soon! A delicious ripe with a nice calming qi. I wish I could purchase the brick but no mas of this year so I think I’ll give the 2011 (second pressing) a try sometime soon. I recommend trying some of Scott’s selection of Cha Tou. Ripe pile turds at their best!

Well, I have been revisiting this tea and have become a bit disappointed. I have yet to repeat the greatness of my first session with this tea. I find almost no returning sweetness tho there is a bit on the front. The biggest thing is the astringency. Mouth puckering and not that enjoyable. I have varied the brewing parameters but still getting the same thing. I suppose I got lucky and picked off a sweet magic spot from the cake my first session. I’m going to let this one sit and age a bit before making any more judgements.

A really nice smooth ripe. The wet leaf has a nice cherry sweet smell. The liquor itself has a honey/tobacco sweet smell with no smokiness. Has a nice mouthfeel tho not very viscous but still smooth. The taste has hints of honey sweetness on the back end with a nice earthiness on the front. Some hints of tobacco and hay sweetness. A really nice ripe that has lost the funk of the pile but would still advise two rinses to really get the smell and leaves where they want to give. I would recommend this as an everyday drinker that seems would get even better with age….as for the organic part who knows…but its a good tea and very affordable. (357g)

These little guys are pretty good! They have a nice smooth mouthfeel and pack a nice cha qi. The nose is earthy with fresh bread and a slight sweet smell. The taste is very nice and earthy. Not a lot of sweetness but really malty/fresh bread-like. No bitterness at all making it an enjoyable session. Mini Tuochas get a bad rap but I would recommend these for sure. A nice easy to make (5g Tuochas) tea. Very nice.

Well, this was my second try with a “mini brick” and I think I’m gonna throw in the towel. I’m not sure if a ripe would be better suited to a mini brick but sheng isn’t working. The chopped leaves make for such a bitter brew that there are no amount of brewing adjustments that can save my taste buds. The nose is quite nice with a floral sweetness but the taste is pretty astringent. I think I’ll keep my purchases of “mini” pu’s to cakes and touchas. I wouldn’t recommend unless you are into a bit of S&M with your palate.

This brick is just that, a brick. Compressed too tightly and dry to break off a good solid piece. Comes off the brick in tiny particles which makes it quite a bitter brew. Very “chopped” leaves. Think I’ll expose it to some humidity and see if i breaks better. First two steeps were not that bad but on the third the strong bitterness takes hold and doesn’t let go. I didn’t get past the fourth steep before jumping ship. It was a cheap small mini brick so I wasn’t expecting much. I wouldn’t really recommend this one as there are better offerings out there. This was my first “mini brick” so I’m not sure if they are all pretty bitter and chopped but I think I’ll stick with cakes when going small.

A nice ripe. Really compressed so pick carefully. Had a bit of funk on the nose but goes away after a couple of steeps. A very smooth and slightly mellow brew. Nice mouthfeel that gets better with more leaf. Has a nice tobacco earthiness/sweetness. No smokiness or bitterness with this one. A bit lighter than a lot of ripes but pretty nice. I would recommend.

A great purchase from Scott at YS. Very pleased with this one. I’m not quite sure about the other reviews on this one. I had no bitterness at all and tons of sweet fruit taste! Maybe try some different brewing parameters because this is a great sweet sheng that should be tried for sure. The sweetness was more of a returning “hui gan” on the back of the tongue that seemed to creep forward. A nice cooling in the throat as well. Very fruity on the nose with some smokiness. Not really any smokiness in the taste but on the nose for sure. I got more steeps than I could count on this one and it was a very giving leaf. Nice big leaves. What else can I say….brew it up “right” and it is a very good tea and I would highly recommend trying this one. I’ll be buying more for sure. Try 5-6 grams in a 100ml gaiwan with a 5 second rinse at 205f with about 5-8 second steeps adding a few seconds after the first couple. Worked for me with no real astringency and tons of sweetness! Enjoy!