When my boyfriend went to New York 6 months ago I was very new to the world of puerhs and how to brew any tea but Western style tea. I had a few shu puerhs though and really liked them.
So he picked this up for me as a gift and we were both pretty excited to try it out, but when we brewed it up (typical Western style) it became the most foul and bitter tasting concoction I had ever experienced. I almost threw it away but kept it in my cupboard.
This afternoon I dragged it out. I have no idea if it’s a shu or a sheng. When I used a small leaf to water ratio and a lower water temp this is actually kind of pleasant. It’s definitely on the fruitier side a little bit of smoke and some cinnamon-esque spice. I detect a lot of camphor here, that’s not my favorite flavor in tea but at least I found a way to brew this to make it actually drinkable. I’m glad I didn’t toss it after all! ;-)
Maybe if I keep experimenting the rating will go up!
