Bonnie

Thank you mrmopar for this most silky Puerh!

Yesterday there was a long grey cloud parallel to the foothills by my house.

The cloud didn’t move.

When I walked from my car to the house I looked up at the texture and thickness of the huge monster and recognized it as a Lenticular cloud that you see at high altitude and was formed by moist air blowing over the Rocky Mountains. Constant light winds were keeping it in place, still and waiting.

I knew what was going to happen at sunset. I had seen from a greater distance a cloud monster like this one at Lake Tahoe. But this cloud was right over my head!

I went into the house, got my camera and checked how my buddies on Steepster were doing, when I noticed that my room was suddenly lit with golden light.
The cloud was illuminated by the setting sun which lit up my room!

I ran out the door with my keys and camera, took 3 shots over the complex and drove a block away to the entry of the Equine Center so that I could take my sky shots without buildings or cars.

I sat in the dirt and had the best time shooting a sky that was an ocean of gold, purple, pink and fire red. The color was so bright from ice crystals that the ground reflected a rose tint.
http://flic.kr/p/dkfUHv
http://flic.kr/p/dkfT6d
(I hope these pictures show up because I’ve been having trouble with flickr/yahoo.)

Sitting on the ground with the colors of Autumn thick and textured stretched across the sky, it was as if one enormous wing of an Angel was shielding me in an ethereal glow.

I can understand why the shephard David sat on a hillside writing songs of thanksgiving. I want to write Psalms after seeing or experiencing beauty.

The experience of last evening was so awe-inspiring, that I had no question about what kind of tea I wanted to drink this morning.
I picked Puerh.

Puerh always binds me to the appreciation of nature. I get all mushy sometimes about how much I love the rich and earthy thickness of it.
This Puerh I picked out of my to-be-reviewed stash at random.
I couldn’t find any information about it so the opinions are entirely my own.

My usual method is: A 30 second rinse followed by 3 steepings all at 30 seconds. The 4th steeping was increased to 3 minutes (pushing the envelope).

The wet leaves had a remarkable vanilla bean scent. I was surprised!
The liquor began as honey brown, deepening to rootbeer color with later infusions.

The first tasting was mild, lightly sweet and very light cedar. It was hard to tell that this was a Puerh for the lack of earthiness.
I expected the flavor to develop as the leaves opened though. The second steeping was the same as the first.

By the third steeping, I wondered what to do. Not a thing had changed from steeping 1,2,3.
I checked the leaves which HAD opened enough to produce some darkening as the steeping’s progressed.
Should I just drink this as I would a tea that wasn’t a Puerh? Add some sweetening?

I sweetening it a little and it was smooth and light but a bit boring to me.

I decided to increase the time to 3 minutes on the 4th steeping.

Now this was clearly a darker liquor, very smooth tasting, silky and mild. The only change from previous steeping’s was a little cedar bite on the tongue that quickly disappeared as the tea cooled.

This wasn’t a review of the earthy Shu Puerh’s I’m used to… quite the opposite. Don’t get me wrong though, this is a fine enough Puerh for people who DON’T like the earthy, stronger Puerh’s.

For anyone who is fearful and wants to try these exquisite tea’s this may be exactly the rare, golden beauty you’ve been looking for.

Backlog> (Can’t believe this is the first time I’ve used that word!)

Sunday is my day off from writing reviews but not my day off from drinking tea.
I decided several weeks ago that I needed to have time to visit tea houses, have tea outside my own 4 walls, take pictures for my blog or do other things that are enjoyable and feed my soul.

The point is that there should not be any pressure to produce a review. No words.

You might think that’s an easy task. Huh? I’m a talker, it’s not so easy for me to be quiet and to stay off Steepster.

I keep 3×5 cards in my purse so that I can jot down notes if I happen to drink tea when I’m out somewhere. Do you do that too?
So it’s no use. Having a day off means I’ll write a backlog the next day. It will just have to be done that way. I’m addicted.

At about 3:00 I stopped by my H.L. tea pub for a pot of one of the new tea’s added for the 3rd Anniversary Celebration this weekend.

The shop was FULL of people buying tea from ‘The Great Wall’ where about 350 or more tin bins of tea are stacked with samples in front for sniffing. People stand and sniff, pick a tea and buy some for home or have it brewed up.
Joe was manning the ‘behind the bar’ orders, Eric and several others were making pots of tea, setting timers, weighing tea and answering questions.
I just sat and waited for the dust to clear. It always does.

I had been to Church, visited with my granddaughter and forgot to eat lunch. I was in the mood for a hearty tea.
Joe told me that there was just enough Second Flush Assam left for 1 pot and then it would be gone until the next order came in.
“Let’s do it”, I said.

Joe brought me the tin box and a dry sample to smell.
The leaves were a mix of yellow gold and chocolate brown with a scent of hay and pepper.

The wet leaves were cocoa colored and malty sweet smelling with some honey in the aroma.

The liquor was golden honey in color and scent.
When I took a sip the tea was tangy, strong almost like a malty clover honey with horehound.

I drank the tea straight then added milk and raw sugar.
The improvement was dramatic.
I invited Joe and a mountain man that looked like ZZ Top to have some of the tea with/without milk and they agreed that milk was the best way to drink this tea, even if you don’t add sugar.

I dawdled over my last cup, took some pictures of my favorite place in town.
This Assam was one of the better ones I’ve ever had.

I asked, “How do you guys always stay so cheerful? I never see anyone who works here in a bad mood. No one’s ever cranky or complaining.”
Joe laughed, “That’s not an option, we’re professionals and there’s no place for that kind of thing here.” (He wasn’t joking, he said this with pride)

When I thought about what he said, and the fact that the whole staff is following this same work ethic and pride in what they do, that’s commendable and pretty rare.

Can you imagine if every business had employees who were cheerful, kind and helpful, gave great service without ever being cranky?

Thanks to DHart1214 for this sample tea!

It appears that the clocks have reversed and I’ll have to nose about for my Summer clothes this week. The temperature will hike up around 78-80 Degrees which is perfect for speeding around the hills in my jalopy with a packed lunch, tea thermos and camera, knowing I’ll find lots of Fall color to shoot.

This Black Lemon Tea was my first tea today.
With the first tasting, I was so glad it wasn’t bitter. (I was expecting it to be bitter actually because the amount of lemon peel
was large and I steeped it 5 minutes ( Ovation suggested 5-6)).

Contrary to my prediction, the flavor was lighty lemon flavored and almost completely overshadowed by the Assam which was full bodied and strong.
I was afraid to add any milk because of possible curdling but I did go back on a second infusion and no harm done.
Adding sweetening brought the lemony taste forward. That is the way I would drink the tea, sweetened at the very least.

As the tea cooled it became astringent and for me undrinkable.

As long as this is kept hot enough, it’s tasty and a ‘lemony twist’ on a strong Assam.

Off to write a bit more then to see the red and golden trees of Fall!

I’m so excited! Today is the Anniversary Celebration at Happy Lucky’s Tea House and there’s free tea tastings and Oolong and Puerh classes in the afternoon (and prizes).
I’ll take some pictures to share on another review, but for now…I’m kick-starting this rainy day with a little Green Almond Chai.

It doesn’t take a lot (1.5 tsp) of Chai for an 8oz. cup, but you need to read the instructions. This is meant for adding 20% volume milk and should be sweetened with something. The steep time is long at 5-10 minutes. I chose 5 minutes and can’t imagine going longer. My tea was just on the edge of bitter before adding milk and honey.

The instructions for adding milk and sweetening are serious. I wouldn’t drink this plain (tried and bitter). Adding sweetener was fine but the best way to drink this Chai, in my opinion, is with honey and a rich milk. Whole milk, half & half, soy or almond.

You can really taste the cardamom and almond. The cinnamon and clove spices are very light (thankfully the clove isn’t taking over the Chai).
The Green Tea base wasn’t a player. I couldn’t taste any tea, just almond and spices which I didn’t mind.

Depending on what milk and honey used, that could overpower the taste of the tea too.
I tried Clover honey and whole milk, which was more subtle flavored and gently scented than when I tried Wildflower honey with Almond milk, much bolder.

This is where you can play with how you want your Chai to taste. Orange Blossom honey? Coconut milk? Raw sugar?
My store http://copocoshoney.com (here in Fort Collins) has lots of flavors of honey for tea experiments as well as cooking.

I prefer Black tea Chai’s because I can taste the tea base, but this is nice to play around with and I’m not sure I’d do that with my other Chai’s as much. I’ll have fun experimenting.

Happy Sipping!

I’ve already written one review of this lovely tea, one where I was happily sipping it. Drinking the sweet and savory green bean and roasty rice deliciousness.

I couldn’t resist the next step. COOKING WITH TEA!

I’m always fiddling around in the kitchen with tea, mostly steeping, steaming, making a marinade or sauce of some sort.
(I have a few holiday goodies up my sleeve that I’m working on for gift giving…ho ho ho).

Tonight the lightbulb went off ‘bing’ when I decided to cook some tilapia in the oven. My usual method is stove-top but I had been considering a butter and Laoshan Genmaicha sauce to poach the fish in and just went with it.
All I added was a little sea salt and ground pepper when it was done.

I steeped 4 oz. tea 2 minutes then put in 1TB unsalted butter.
When the butter was melted, I poured the tea mixture over the salted fish and then into a hot 350F oven until the liquid was almost gone and the fish was flaky.

While the fish was cooking, I infused some Verdant Zhu Rong in a little Clover Honey, strained the tea leaves out and added a little unsalted butter to make a glaze. I pan cooked carrot spears adding the honey/tea glaze towards the end and cooking further until the carrots were caramelized.

A few minutes before the fish was done I put a handful of fresh spinach on top of the fish to steam.

How did it taste?

IT"S ALL GONE! I ATE IT ALL UP!

Play with tea! Butters, sauces, honey…it’s easy to do.

I mixed a bit of this brewed Genmaicha last week with some butter and poured it over spaghetti squash…then topped it with a little cheese…oh my…yes! Just a little pat of butter in the tea and it stretched through the whole dish making it rich and YUM!

I know this is a different sort of review but it’s still about our passion… TEA!

Thanks mrmopar for this Pu-erh sample!

A day at home with rain expected in the afternoon was the perfect setting for Pu-erh sipping with steeping multiple times.

As I made my preparations, I was suspended in a timeless space with the thrill, the drama of what was to happen next?

Basic Information
Steeping times: After a 30 second rinse, the steeping for the first 3 sessions was 30 seconds, the 4th was 1 minute.

The wet leaves smelled like sweet dark chocolate, then light leather with raisen and chocolate, then faint leather and sweet.

The color of the leaves changed at the end to dark Jade Green!

The color of the liquor was light brown on the first steeping becoming dark red brown on steeping 2 and 3, dark golden brown on steep 4.

Taste
The process of discovery was like a first date. The tea flirted a little, let me get just a hint of flavor to see if I’d respond. A bit of cedar, sweetness and some slight dryness on the tongue. Nothing to write home about but not scary either. Pretty smooth.
(The tea was obviously, holding back and waiting for the right moment to reveal it’s true personality.)

The second encounter was way more flirtatious, even sexy with a baked cedar plank dryness up front becoming smooth on the finish. There was another flavor lurking in the shadows, a secret.
Peach or Cocoa? I needed more time to inquire, to explore again.

The third encounter was not revealing. I sensed that something wasn’t right. The flavor was so much lighter. Wasn’t the water hot enough? Was the steeping too short? (I always blame myself, never the tea first!)

I decided to become bolder, demanding more now that we had spent considerable time together. I felt that we knew each other well enough. My instincts told me that if I pushed a little bit, there was great strength of character just under the surface.

I challenged the timing increasing it 3 fold.
The Pu-erh held steady without a flinch but it looked different.
The liquor had changed to golden brown and the leaves to jade green.

The flavor was supprisingly very mild, dry cedar, sweet, juicy and easy to drink.

Even with the mild dryness this was a smooth tea with no harshness.
I was expecting some sort of aggressive punch with the longer steep, but that’s not what this Pu-erh was about.

It was kind and mellow, sure to keep me happy for a long time.

(For any off-the-wall people who add sugar on occasion to pu-erh, well after the 4th steeping I checked it out and the caramel flavor that appears with sweetening is very nice!)

For anyone who read my notes yesterday about how I was searching for my CANE (I need to name her, she’s 3 years old with silver, blue and black little squiggle flowers and a black wood handle), and I’m reporting that I found her at Old Navy. She was shopping.

Usually I find my CANE having tea at Happy Lucky’s.

I went looking for her after my hair appointment.
There was an odd ad on the radio for a Viagra type product that you had to ‘qualify’ for (huh?) and the first 200 men who called would receive a free stop watch to time the effects of the product (really?!). I certainly got some good puns out of that ad.

When I got home I finished some tea from earlier and roasted some root veggies for dinner. I set some tea aside for the morning, hoping the weather would brighten so that I could take some Fall Photo’s.

This morning was what I hoped for, shimmering light and blue sky.
I’m going to Douglas Lake behind my daughter’s house to get a sweeping view of the Rocky Mountains. I’ll post later pictures from my shoot.

I had to have the tea I set aside first.

When this tea was ordered I had a long conversation with the owner of Kally Tea and enjoyed the down-to-earth friendly conversation about tea and life.
He lives in the small high desert town of Hemet, California.
In my whole life as a consumer, I can’t think of any product besides tea where you can get to know the owner of the company providing the product.
I’m 64 and unless I walk into a physical store in my town and confront an owner and get to know them, it isn’t going to happen. TEA IS DIFFERENT!
(It’s a miracle really)

The tea
The dry Oolong was loose, not tight little pebbles of leaves
that would unfurl during steeping.
They looked like Black tea leaves and smelled sweet.

I used 1.5 tsp dry to 8oz. water at 160F and steeped 3 minutes.

The liquor was light honey brown, and tasted lighter than I expected for a first steeping. (I will try a little more leaf next time.)

The flavor was soft clover honey melting away on my tongue like water. There was a roastiness so light and savory that it kept drawing me back for more.

I sipped and sipped the smooth, gentle Oolong, thinking how nice
it was to have a tea that wasn’t requiring much of me.
could just relax, not going into ecstacy over it’s wonders or
into disappointment by some flaw.

As the tea cooled, it didn’t blink. Everything stayed as it was.
“Well now, an Oolong for anytime drinking,” I thought.

This type of Oolong is harder to find and one that I’m glad to have. By the way, I think this is one that’s good pared with food.

Here’s a picture from the LAKE http://flic.kr/p/diVvp6

Somewhere in Fort Collins, I’ve misplaced my CANE. Usually I leave it at Happy Lucky’s Tea House, so last night on the way home from giving grandson Donovan his birthday gift is where I went hunting for it.

It wasn’t there. Oh No!

I had some tea though (which always makes things better)!

Joe was minding the shop and it was pretty empty except for one other regular. We sat at the bar talking now and then about dancing (she’s a 20 year old dancer) and about tea. We got along well.

Joe and I were discussing the Kenyan tea that I reviewed and how it tasted a little like an Oolong. I mentioned how I enjoyed the roasted Oolongs in the Fall and Winter. He asked if I had tasted the Strong Fire Tieguangin?
“What?” I let him know that I hadn’t been informed about that tea.
Off he went to pull the metal canister for me to smell the leaves.

“Um, yes…very roasty smelling leaves and dark too”, I thought. I’d try this one.

Joe prepared a large clay pot and I waited 4 minutes until the timer went off and the leaves were pulled out.

Gracious! The leaves were Black-Brown and looked more like Pu-erh!
The scent was charcoal and french roast coffee with a little tea sweetness. (I could have spent all my time smelling the leaves if I wasn’t worried about the tea getting cold.)

The flavor was not as smoky as the scent. It was sweet and roasty, savory (not vegital), nutty with an unsweetened chocolate undertone.

The second pot was steeped 3 minutes and the leaves were woody and still half unfurled, with an aroma that was more meaty like a good roast chicken.

The flavor was not as sweet or charcoal, dryer in the mouth but never becoming bitter or astringent. This tea was easy to drink.
I talked to Joe about how I could drink pots of tea with roasted chicken or with a savory rice dish, even something buttery where you need to cut through the fat texture and wash it down like when you eat a pulled pork sandwich.

Yes, this tea could stand up to food without being too heavy on it’s
own.

I liked the roastiness very much with a hint of smoke, not too sweet but with character.

Still looking for my CANE….

One of the things I love about meandering in my local Whole Foods
at dinner time is that no one is there!
At my store, they just moved the tea section to a larger and more visible spot.
Unless I go to Happy Lucky’s Tea House, there isn’t any other place in town with a big variety of loose leaf tea.
A good number of the tea’s are from Colorado which is another feature that I love. The Tea Spot from Boulder is represented, and at least 6 or more companies as well as large bins of loose tea and lots of better National brands (including Matcha).

I was looking around and noticed this Chai Concentrate.
For just under $4.00 I could make 64 ounces of Chai…which I thought was pretty good considering all the ingredients were high quality. All I needed to add was milk. There were several flavors available but I picked Vanilla Chai.

First I tried unflavored vanilla almond milk and mixed half Chai, half milk.
I heated a cup in the microwave and …uh…it didn’t turn out well. The flavor was sour and the milk looked curdled.

I scratched my head trying to figure out what went wrong.
Too much Chai perhaps, or wrong milk?

Next I tried less Chai, more milk and the two still didn’t mix well.
I’m not a chemist so I have no idea why this didn’t work out.
I said, “Forget the almond milk.”

I switched to cow’s milk, heated it up (not overly hot per the label instructions) then added 1/3 Chai to 2/3 milk (not half and half)
which worked out tasting the BEST. NO curdling!

The spices do overpower the vanilla taste.
(it’s the clove that’s the culprit and I’d tone it down or take
it out if I was the tea master).

The taste reminds me of Christmas-time with the scent of a clove
studded potpourri and vanilla frosted gingerbread men.

This is another tea that would be fun to play with in recipes.
A little added to pumpkin puree? Now I want to try the other
flavors too!

I’ll keep hunting for these Colorado tea companies. They seem
to be brewing up around Boulder. I hope the trend continues.

In the meantime. I’ll keep hunting for more local brews.

Thank you Martin Sankale of Wanja Tea of Kenya for this sample tea!

Kenya!
All of my life I’ve met people who have been to Kenya with fantastic stories to tell. Stories of the Great Rift Valley, with herds of exotic animals and vast lush vista’s.
I bought objects made in Kenya for my home, fabrics and small wood animals, musical instruments. I even had some magazines from Nairobi that a friend brought back from a trip that I would read over and over again, especially loving the Kenyan version of ‘Dear Abby’. One particular letter was from a young woman who was in love with a young man who had ‘tribal scar’s’ on his face. She was concerned that he wasn’t modern enough now that she had a job as a secretary. (remember this was in the 1970’s)

Being a mixed race family, I filled my home with items from Kenya especially, because they were the easiest to find.
I bought small wooden animals, musical instruments and fabrics. I prepared exotic meals and then we danced around to music I found at the library.
The Scot’s side of our heritage wasn’t left out. That side allowed us to have tea time in the afternoon’s, scones and Scot’s eggs, and go to the Highland Games (which we still do and yes, my son has a kilt!).

In my well blended family, we celebrate with bagpipes, drums and an American Flag…the African-American, Scot’s way!
Today I also listen to Kenyan Chant.

Tea Tasting
I’ve had purple tea before but not often. Sometimes I forget how it tastes, different than other tea’s. Even the steeping is different.

You must use less leaf (.5 tsp) and lower temp. (160f) for 4min.
otherwise you won’t have a happy cup.

The first thing I thought when I took my first sip was Oolong.
The savory, floral flavor were a familiar recent tasting memory I suppose. That might give you an idea of where my brain began it’s journey of discovery with this unique Kenyan Purple Tea.

I mentally shook that thought off and began again.

The flavor was sweet and savory in the same way artichoke hearts effect me, I thought, and then I remembered…oh yes…this is one of my rare Umami moments. A deep Umami because the flavor lingers for a long time.

The flavor was at the back of my palate and went up into the nose more like tasting wine would do. I love tea that does this. If you make a little huff, like a nose sigh you get more sense of flavor. Try it some time.
I wouldn’t call this tea woodsy but a little dry as it cools due to faint astringency. Don’t be afraid of it though. The presentation is a dry feel and not a bite.

This is really good tea. Not heavy but really good.

Thank you DHart1214 for this big tea sample!

I was laying in bed this morning thinking about Steepster and who was missing. I’ve been on this site for almost 9 months developing friendships with so many amazing, wonderful people that I truly care about. However, something happened between June and now.
Some people have disappeared!
I miss Jason, Ian and ScotTeaMan who drifted away over the Summer.
(You have your own lists of who’s gone missing too)

I was thinking of Steepster as a Cruise Ship full of Staterooms and fancy places to gather and talk about tea.
The Internet Cafe for Reviews, Clubs, Bars (with tea of course) and PM corners for getting to know each other.
Every day we stop and pick up more Passengers.
We’ve even had a few storms. (Remember the upgrade when Steepster was DOWN most of a week!)

Now and then, someone gets off the ship.
Obligations, school or jobs may have required more time. ADIOS!
Still, I miss them. I hope that at some future Port they will get on the ship again because each person is unique.

I’m hopeful that nobody ever feels lonely or left out.
There are several cruise directors who can help guide the new people and a couple of bartenders. (watch out for the ones with the lampshades on their heads though)

If you’re new, find me on the Lido Deck at the Puerh Bar late at night, nursing a multiple steeping and talking to whomever will listen…telling stories. I’ll be glad to help.

Please stay! I care for you all!

Ah Yes The Tea Review
When I lived briefly in Puerto Rico, there was tropical fruit I had never seen before such as Guanabana, Blood Fruit, and Mango’s in various shapes and flavors (such as Pineapple Mango and Apple Mango). But, I loved fresh, ice cold Passion Fruit juice! It was by far my favorite.

When this tea arrived from DHart1214 I said, “Really?” Thinking about how Passion Fruit Wulong would taste.

I followed the steeping instructions for Oolong.
The leaves were very dark green and the liquor champagne yellow.
The scent of the leaves was a bit odd because of the vegital and fruit clashing but the aroma of the liquor was very fruity and sweet with no vegital smell.

The first tasting was mild fruit, lightly sweet and smooth.
I added a little sweetening which improved the Passion Fruit flavor.
The mouth-feel was light and never transitioned to butter, bitter, or astringency.

The second and third steeping’s were still faintly sweet and mild with a more sour fruit taste which would be more like real Passion Fruit. Adding sweetening is something I suggest. The mouth-feel was still light but a little dry.

I read that this is good when iced.

Overall, a very mild and gentle cup of tea.

This is the last of a full one ounce sample that Jason sent me about 4 months ago. The Chai is very Gingery and got mixed reviews depending on how you feel about ginger really. This is my final cup (sigh).

I’m a fan of ginger. It makes me feel better when my stomach is upset (happens often). The taste of this Golden Chai is not sharp but sweet and mellow. Ginger can be bitter but this tea isn’t even after re-steeping several times.
I love how my body feels warmed from within like a soft glow when I drink this Chai.

I brewed my tea early which was comforting when I turned on my computer. I had slept in a bit, wrote a tea review then went to my email and read some sad but not unexpected news.

The Godmother to my grandchildren, and dearest family friend Terry Beck passed last night after her 5 month battle with cancer.

I’ve spoken of her before. Her 60 foster children, 5 adult children and 5 adopted. She leaves her Husband Fr. Andrew Beck and 2 adopted sons 4 and 8 still at home.
So Memory Eternal to my friend!

I made this tea and looked at pictures of Terry holding my naked Grandson Micah at his Baptism… all smiles. Then I looked out my window and the snowflakes were just beginning to float down.

For about an hour, a steady quiet snow fell.

When she became ill, Terry had a tea time once a week at her home in the Redwoods. Ladies (and a few men) from the neighborhood and the Church would come and make tea and visit. My daughter met with her for tea on the internet and they chatted and laughed.
She communicated to everyone her joy and gratitude for life.

Tea, life, gratitude. I can drink tea and practice gratitude in her memory. I’ll have to work on it since I can be a grumbler.

I’ve gone all over the place with this review. Some people might think this is not appropriate on a tea site. Maybe so. Just don’t hit like and carry on. I’m not offended if people don’t like me. Just be kind to others…that’s when I get upset!

For the end of this discontinued Chai, and the first snow…

…and Terry! http://youtu.be/p3iYnHx8P0s

Thank you DHart1214 for this sample tea

I’m not a hibiscus hater like lots of people on Steepster, and find that it’s nice with fruit blends as long as the other ingredients have enough flavor on their own to keep from being overpowered.
Sort of like not putting mint with a softer vegital tasting tea because it would hide the flavor completely.

So I looked at the ingredients, apple, raspberry, rose hips, hibiscus, natural flavoring and a ‘Guatemalan black tea’ (really?), all organic, and thought that the balance should be tasty.

Yow! The tea brewed up like a Shu Puer on the 2nd steeping, almost black and thick! You could remove grease from a frying pan with the astringency.
Like any good culinary scientist (which I Ain’t),I put a little milk in the tea and watch an instant churning like DRANO as a whirl-wind of tea stirred itself and became a curdled cup of icky gunk!

I began again and tried a lighter steep and still there was a sour bad taste.
No apple, no black tea flavor to be found. Even sweetening could not make this a happy tea.

How can I find the good here. (That’s my job)

I’ve got it! It’s organic!

Thank you Terri Harp Lady for this sample tea!

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning, not my usual time but early enough for a leisurely sit down and cup of tea before heading off to drop my ‘Grandma Van’ at Hawkers Garage for a fix of my windshield wiper fluid delivery system.
I know snow is coming!

When I looked outside, I could see a smattering of snow already on the top of some of parked cars but not on the street. “It’s only October 5th!”, I told myself, then turned away to more important thoughts and decided to make this tea from Terri.

Black Tea, Black Tea, oh how I love Black Tea on a cold, cold day!
The anxiety of not knowing if this was going to be an EH’ tea or an
AMEN’ almost drove me to pull the steep short of the 3 minutes I
set my timer for.

I knew I would add splenda and cream but I tried the tea straight first. Um, the brew was very dark, strong, sweet and rich without being malty or bitter.
When the additions were stirred in, the tea was very smooth and delicious.
I loved the almost blackberry flavor with the roasty honey taste.

I could easily drink this often.

When I finished my tea, off I went to Hawkers where my daughter met me and whisked me off to breakfast at ‘The Breakfast Club’ (real name) for cornbread with sausage gravy. I know…it’s not good for you…blah, blah, blah…!
(I haven’t had this in over a year!)

After much running around, picking up the car and coming home,
I steeped another cup of tea from the morning leaves and enjoyed
more rich, smooth goodness.

I’m on snow watch now, and making rice (potato allergy) clam chowder, looking often out the window. I know this snowfall is only a fluke.

Things will warm up next week I know.
The real snow doesn’t come until Feb.-Mar. but I love the first
snow none-the-less.
Like the little girl I once was instead of an older woman I now am, I watch out my window with joyful anticipation.
I’m waiting for a giant hand to shake a heavenly snow globe, creating a magical white wonderland just for me.

First Tasting…from a sample I received with my last Verdant order. (Prior to my full cake purchase arriving.)

Intro
I didn’t realize at first that the sample I received with my order was the same as the 07 cake I later purchased. The label was marked 06 instead of 07.
I thought I had received one of those extra’s that are never going up on the Verdant site, or a future tea that might be released in a few weeks. You never know with tea, things are always changing.

Tasting at H.L.
So I took my little sample to Happy Lucky’s to taste with my tea friends, Sam and Joe, and my granddaughter Schey.
Joe set up a little Gaiwan and 4 cups, then rotated through 7 short steepings.
From the beginning I didn’t think he used enough leaf and the steep time was instant, but he thought otherwise.
The first steeping was tongue numbing, and tasted ashy. The smell was sweet tobacco. The Pu’er was never bitter or harsh, just ashy tasting and vegital.

That didn’t concern me, I knew how a first steeping was so often unreliable in judging what future steepings would taste like.

It took 3 additional steepings for the ash and tobacco taste to subside, finally allowing a lighter, green tea flavor to emerge with a slight astringency.

I determined then to spend time at home brewing this Pu’er ‘MY WAY’. Something wasn’t right.

Curious about my sample, I sent David Duckler an e-mail. He said the handwritten sample said ’06 but was really the 2007 Fuhai Sheng. Aha!

Now I knew how to brew!

Prep
I decided to do a Western Style brewing to get a larger amount of tea all at once to envelop myself in the aroma and flavor. I also wanted to use lots of leaf.

I used SPRING WATER!!! (I do believe this made a big difference)

Steep time….1 minute! 8 oz water 5 grams or so leaf

The aroma of the leaves was lightly vegital with a background scent of Grammer School paste.

The color remained pale yellow.

The scent of the tea changed in such a peculiar way. I smelled sweet tobacco in the beginning then sweet spiced pickle, cinnamon, savory and sweet green tea.

Second Tasting Western Style
With the very first sip I was stunned at how instantly the tea numbed my tongue. Not just the tip but under the tongue.
The flavor was an ash-vegital taste that wasn’t too salty. The Pu’er was never bitter or harsh and had a natural sweetness.
I had the sensation of cream without a thick mouth-feel.
As the tea cooled just slightly there was a growing presence of cinnamon.
I was pleased that my choice to brew Western Style using more leaf and longer steep time had worked out so well!

The second steep was like the first and the third was less ashy, dryer and a weaker cup.
I needed to make an adjustment!

At Stepping #4, I changed the time to 1 minute 45 seconds. Perfect!

Always the experimenter, and following a hunch…I took a small break, took a bite of chicken and came back to my tea (just seconds away to keep the tea hot).

By taking that break, I discovered the Pu’er’s Savory personality! Sipping the Pu’er was really good with my light chicken dish in a way that an excellent light savory broth would be.
I could still feel a bit of tingle, that numbing feeling in my mouth that was kind of cool and a green plantain starchy flavor that is a little sweet as it begins to ripen with a hint of cinnamon (super light). (The cinnamon was sometimes only on the nose)

Conclusions
For my first encounters with this Pu’er, I didn’t taste apricot or nut.
The environment often changes what you taste from one day to another too. This is why I seldom eat before tasting tea.
Perhaps in the future my experience will deepen and I will taste many things as the Pu’er itself changes.

My recommendation is to use the best water, don’t skimp on leaf and steep long enough to get good flavor. If at first you don’t succeed try again. I bought a cake and a sample size to play with. Sheng is not like Shu Puerh. This is not earthy, fishy or mushroom tasting.

Sheng are a whole different adventure in the world of Pu’er and I for one have a lot to learn.

Thanks mrmopar for this nice Puerh Sample!

Yesterday someone said in their review that it seems that overnight the trees had turned color without them noticing the change. Blink and it’s Autumn!
I agree! When I lived in California the seasons didn’t change as dramatically as they do here in Colorado.
I was just looking at the forecast this morning. 82 today dipping to 28 tonight (Obama and Romney better have Jackets in Denver) and on Saturday the daytime will be 37 degrees (that’s an almost 50 degree drop!). ‘The times they are a Changing’.

One September I went to visit my mother-in-law Selma in Fairbanks, Alaska and drove way out along the Pipeline towards Valdez. After you pass the Air Force Base around North Pole Alaska, you see few people or cars. After about an hour, if you pull to the side of the road and get out, there is a panorama of golden trees UNBELIEVABLE and not the sound of ANYTHING. No birds, bugs, people, cities or cars. Total quiet. (The birds have gone South and the animals are hunkering down for the Winter which would come within a week or two.)
On the return drive, as the night sky turned black, the Aurora Borealis lit up the sky with an iridencent green light show. Again, stopping and getting out of the car to hear the siren sound of the sky and see the amazing movement of light that only is visable twice a year.

Ah Autumn. http://flic.kr/p/dgv2Nm Fall Alaska Set

Tasting

The color of the liquor for this Shu Puerh was first a golden honey brown and thereafter a clear dark red-brown.

Although I love to smell wet leaves, I didn’t find this to be a extremely potent or strong smelling Puerh. It was just a mellow, easy scent that was tame, a little earthy and pleasing.

After one 30 second rinse, I kept steepings at 30-45 seconds which was more than enough time for a rich broth.

The lightest (and first) steeping was like honey and Bing cherries with a light spicy finish. There wasn’t any earthy flavor or bread taste. I did find the sensation to be wet, not juicy.
My mind went off to thinking about water and then I came to my senses realizing how odd that was.

I poured another cup. This was more like the Puerh’s I was used to, like digging into rich, dark and chunky premium potting soil.
It tasted juicy and extremely smooth, becoming thick at the back of the palate.
There was something sweet about this Puerh. A cherry flavor and a creaminess during later steepings that I had not come across often in Shu’s. (I thought I was wacko about the cherry flavor but I tasted this tea over again the today and I’m convinced, though the Bing cherry taste is elusive.)

The other illusion that I had with this Shu was water.
As I sat sipping one round after the other I began to tea regress. Have you ever felt like tea is your shrink taking you back to your childhood? Well I have.
I thought about a night sitting on the beach in Santa Cruz, CA all alone. It was one of those starless nights when all you could hear were the waves crashing like thunder. Now and then, there was a glimmer of light from a wave but nothing else as I dug my toes deep into the still warm sand. I must have been 16 or 17 years old and a real dreamer. Fearless and full of wonder.
An older guy in his 20’s that I knew came along, sat down next to me and we began to verbally make up poetry in the dark. He said a line, then I made up a few, then he made up some more. A perfect romantic experience in the purest sense.
We never spoke again.

Tea can be a beautiful moment like that. Like a poem or a crashing wave.
Some are an experience that lingers for a little while.
My favorite ones are the tea’s you remember forever.
And some, well not so much.

This one was better than many I’ve had and will linger.

Story (I have a review of tea for the morning)
I’ve had quite a long day. My ex-Husband, needed me to get some legal paperwork together so that he could sell his house (not mine anymore). I had to prep and fax 47 pages off to California along with notarized proof of my name as a favor.

What did I do to relax afterwards? Go to Happy Lucky’s for tea!

I always know that it’s dead quiet around dinner time, nice time to relax at the tea pub.
Sam was about to get off work and Joe (the cute guy in the picture that some of you ladies commented on) was minding the shop alone.

After a few minutes at the bar, my granddaughter Schey came in with Purple Hair…very cute on her…and joined me for tea.

We really had a great time until….the ghost tour arrived again. The line of ladies (no men) filed behind the bar, downstairs, then up again…grabbing iced tea and back out the door.

We drank our pot of yummy puerh (this is a great and reliable, smooth and rich puerh! I’ve reviewed it twice before and this is my really tasty every day kind of puerh. Not fussy, makes a good latte too.)
So we’re drinking puerh and then Schey had a meeting and left.

All of a sudden, 7 women came up from the basement with purple, pink, black and blond wigs on…all dolled up. Older women looking like they’ve been up to something (no idea what though).

I have no idea where they came from.
Joe said, “Didn’t you see them go downstairs before?”
“No I didn’t!”, I answered. Which was true. I never saw them go with the other people and why were they coming upstairs long after the others had left?
Strange. Don’t you think that’s peculiar?

I pointed out the firehouse poll and said something really stupid.

“That’s where the employees pole dance.”
(“OH shut up Bonnie! Whatever are you saying!!!”, I thought, exasperated with my bad habit of speaking without thinking first.)

The next thing that happened was that each woman had their picture taken in a sexy pose with the firehouse poll in the middle of Happy Lucky’s. Yes. Of course they did this. It was almost my idea!

Joe was laughing, I was hoping he wasn’t going to be mad at me later for my big mouth! (I did give him some news though.)

Hope the word doesn’t get out. I’d hate Happy Lucky’s to be the place in town for pole pictures!

Such is life. Never a dull moment.

Good Puerh and an interesting way to end the day!

Thank you Terri HarpLady for this sample tea!

The London Tea Room is a local place where Terri meets her friends for tea and friendly conversation, sort of a fancier version of Happy Lucky’s Tea House with a food menu. I’ve seen some of her pictures and I can see how much fun she has!
When one of you Steepster people comments “I wish that I had a Happy Lucky’s by me”, or “I wish that I had a tea Pub”, I often look up your town or city…hoping to find somewhere for you to go. A special little place of your own to check out for tea. The internet isn’t always helpful unfortunately.

With her trips to The London Tea Room, Terri has acquired a good stash of their tea’s for her cupboard and has shared some in a swap with me. Thanks Terri, I need to buy your CD now!

I used more than the normal amount of leaves (on a whim, at least a tablespoon and a half) and steeped them for 3 minutes in 6 (not 8…again a whim) ounces of water.
The first steeping was a little bitter, harsh but fragrant. It tasted vegital and the coconut was a little strange tasting too.

I repeated the same 3 minute steeping with the same amount of water and voila’….perfect coconut Oolong tea!
There wasn’t any bitterness or harsh flavor, just a subtle, creamy coconut taste with an aroma that smelled like cream pie.

As the tea cooled down the creaminess increased and coated my tongue, my teeth, my lips…so eh cudnt tk! (pause)

This was REALLY CREAMY COCONUT OOLONG! And yes, I did sweeten mine!

Here’s the deal though…and don’t forget!
The first steep is YUCKY!
The second steep is YUMMY!

Story more than review
Here’s my latest update on this amazing tea!

I brought some Earl of Anxi for my friends to taste after Church today, curious about how the Frankincense would be appreciated by a group of people who are familiar with the use and smell of this resin incense (although not in tea).

A few days ago I shared some with the guys who work at Happy Lucky’s Tea House and they loved it! We discovered that the incense resin really blooms beautifully at about the 3rd steeping.

Today, I set up my hot water kettle, small sipping cups and Gaiwan then waited for people (victims) to come by for a chat and tea.
One by one, I went through a round of steepings and then another…each time with great interest on the part of those sipping the tea and smelling the aroma with incense. Everyone loved the tea!

Finally, Fr. Evan came into the room…chatting with people and easing back towards me. (I know he saw my tea things, since we always have tea when we get together for our regular talks)

I steeped a last portion, steep #3, and poured tea into a tumbler. Then I handed the Gaiwan full of wet leaves to Fr. Evan and asked him to tell us what he smelled.

Everyone was watching…

“Hum, spinach…
….and something else…..Frankincense!”, he said with authority…not even doubtful for a minute.

He got it right! Wow! I know he’s a Greek Orthodox Priest but still, these were wet leaves and a mix you couldn’t look at and identify easily. Not bad!

I handed him the rest of my Verdant packet. Now I’m OUT! O U T!
More is on the way though. I knew I was going to need more. I gave some away to three people already so now I have to hoard more for my own enjoyment too.

Tea is my bridge to communicating with people face to face again. I’ve been scared, letting my disabilities hold me back. For the past two years I’ve avoided people other than going to my tea pub. This is my next step, sharing tea. Several people say they’d like to have tea with me at Happy Lucky’s. It’s time.

The Tea
I ordered this tea just in the nick of time so it seems, because the stock has already sold out. I know that Verdant will blend some more as soon as the autumn harvest of Laoshan Green is in! Waiting, waiting, wanting!

When I read that Minnesota wild rice and Jasmine sticky rice were being roasted at Verdant to be blended with the superior Laoshan Green tea to make this Genmaicha, I was all in. My taste imagination recalled the buttery green bean smooth tea. Um, with a pairing of toasted rice how brilliant!

Laoshan green leaves are lovely to begin with, very small and curly. The white and black rice, slightly puffy from roasting, made a pretty speckled trio with the tea.
The scent was roasty, like sweet sticky rice and the aroma of buttered popcorn.

The taste didn’t disappoint me!
The flavor was my best experience with a 4 hour Wedding Banquet at the ‘Empress’ in Chinatown San Francisco, and the best day at the
Butte County Fair eating BBQ Corn dripping with Buddah’!

This tea rocks! (Now that’s something you’ve never heard me say!)

The tea is SAVORY and a little SWEET at the same time almost like kettle corn. You won’t be able to stop because of that sweet, savory addictive quality that begs you to have more and more.

I can hear my self now…“Hi, my name is Bonnie and I’m addicted to Laoshan Genmaicha.” …“Hello Bonnie”, thousands of voices respond with the same problem. Sigh. (I’ll have to fill the complimentary hot beverage containers in the back of the room with this tea hee hee!)

There is enough flavor to drink this with a meal. I love the way the taste lingers lazily, a long while after the sipping is done.
With a piece of toast and honey for a snack or at breakfast…yum.

The Story:
Last night I stopped at my tea pub (Happy Lucky’s for those new to my stories) and brought Eric and Sam a sample of the new Verdant Earl of Anxi tea blend with the Frankincense in it. The evening crowds were gone (dinner time) all was quiet and I sat at the bar while they lined up tastings from a small Gaiwan.
The first was great, the second steeping also, but the THIRD…well that’s when the Frankincense began to bloom and meld with the Oolong into an aroma and flavor that amazed them and me.
What an awesome experience. I gave each a little sample to take home and then ordered a pot of Assam and a ginger cookie (Sam’s shift was over and he went home).

People began filling up the shop and I chatted with some, helping others while the lone Eric rushed to make tea orders. This lasted for an hour until another lull arrived.
Still sitting at the bar talking about tea while he frothed some milk, a long line of people came into the shop, behind the bar, past me and Eric and disappeared. “What’s going on?”, I asked surprised.
“Uh, oh, he chuckled, it’s the ghost walk.” “The what?, I answered, is this place supposed to be haunted?” “Well, you know this was a firehouse and had a jail in the back…but in the basement was solitary confinement,” Eric informed me. Yikes! And a few minutes later, a line of people came back up (about 25-30 in all) and filed past me again only this time I held up my hands and said BOO!

I watched the young couple on a date, the oldsters on a night out. The young couple with a baby enjoying Chai. Four friends playing a board game. Most of the people stayed to drink their tea as the sun went down and it became dark.

Never a dull moment at Happy Lucky’s Tea House! It’s beginning to be my Lake Wobegon.

I’ll have to share some of this Laoshan Genmaicha Tea too!
(but just a little since I only have an ounce!).
The sharing makes the tea taste even better I think!

I’ve been waiting for this tea to arrive, so curious about the use of Frankincense in tea. It is curious also that my new blog (soon) is called tea and incense and that the incense I use at home is the same type of resin incense used in the tea. FRANKINCENSE

When the tea arrived I wasted no time making a cup. The wet leaves were beyond amazing…with an aroma that transported me by scent association to ‘Places of Prayer’, ‘Honey Cake with Orange and Nutmeg’, ‘Ancient Holy Spaces’, ‘European Museums’, ‘Grandmothers Antiques’ and ‘Lightly Bergamot Scented Linen’.

I was stunned!

I took a sip of tea and the scent and flavor were one and the same.

What to do? The Oolong tea, orange, jasmine and goji berry were woven together so beautifully that the hint of saffron warmth and incense unfurled like an exquisite silk carpet full of intricate patterns.

Impusively, I called Verdant to leave a message of congratulations and David Duckler answered.

(I’m not going to pretend we’ve never talked before, we have. And I’ve chatted by e-mail with other Tea Company owners who make an effort to be friendly like Stacy, Garrett, Bo, Elise and many others.)

We talked about this tea, how he lets the tea (this Oolong) guide him as he pulls down one ingredient, then another in some mystical way until he has the final blend.
I kept telling him how beautiful the wet leaves were, the cream colored puffy jasmine with the dark green Oolong leaves set off by long rusty red goji berries.
Then the scent, perfectly peppery when cold…then almost nutmeg. I kept picking out pieces of jasmine to eat, then nodding my head down again to smell the aroma.

We spoke about my use of Frankincense and how older cultures used resin instead of chemical incense, how my brother uses a long censor with 12 bells on it to bless the people during Vespers on Saturday nights. With a flick of his wrist, out goes the censor using a technique that looks like he’d be super great with a YOYO.
(My brother is a Deacon)

In the cultures where this type of resin incense is used the smell goes into carpets, furniture, wood and fabrics usually creating an association with a ceremony, season of the year or holiday.

We went on to talk of other things, other tea’s and the trip to China in the near future. I kept coming back to this tea, however. I couldn’t help it.

I said, “David, I’ll probably review the Earl of Anxi tomorrow since I want to think about it to do it justice. It’s remarkable! Earl Grey lovers who love the strong taste are going to complain probably, but I think you were right to keep the bergamot very light! It’s in harmony with the other flavors!” He agreed that it was better this way, saying that the softer and lighter nuance doesn’t overpower the blend.

This was absolutely a mind-blowing and unique Verdant tea!

I LOVE THIS TEA
http://youtu.be/V3rRaL-Czxw

UPDATE
I had some more tea later in the day at my tea pub and by the 3rd steeping the Frankincense became more pronounced in a very fragrant, flavorful way which blended with the Oolong tea and Jasmine beautifully.

Thank you Stacy at Butiki for this sample tea!

I didn’t have any tea this morning because I slept in. Luxury!
It’s something I don’t do very often though.

Old
Everyone thinks that one day when they retire, they’ll sleep in every day but it just doesn’t happen that way.
I’ve often wondered how I worked 8 hours a day, managed kids and bills and raking leaves on my own for the 10 years I was a single parent (I worked another 20 years besides that).
I got in a grove for 40 years like a slot car and off I went.

Last night one of my granddaughters said, “When I get to be an old lady, I’m going to have a blast and do all kinds of things with my grand-kids, drink tea like grandma and write music.” That did my heart good. She said that many of her friends say they hate old people.

I’m trying to show how them (and their friends) that getting older can be wonderful.
Most of the people reading these tea reviews (like you) are young. You’re parents or grandparents might be getting older. (Heck, everyone will be old one day.) I’ll tell you this…I’m free to be myself now, more than at any time in my life. Old isn’t bad, it’s a challenge at times and an adjustment. (My peeps landed on the moon, protested for Civil Rights and Woman’s Rights, invented and built the Computer Industry, the Beetles, Rolling Stones, Richard Gere (63) all from oldies. Talk to an oldster sometime. You’d be surprised at what they know.) It’s fantastic in many ways!

Tea Review:

I chose this Butiki sample and was stunned at how wonderful the aroma of the wet leaves were. Savory, roasty and a little floral in a way that matches the best quality Oolongs I’ve tried. Stunning scent…hard for me to pull myself away from the dark moss green leaves.

Taking my first sip I wasn’t disappointed. The roasted flavor was smooth and rich, honey with a little potato mouth-feel thickness.
I remembered that this was the tea made sweet by leaf hoppers chewing on the tea tree leaves forcing the tree to work harder producing new leaves with more sugar in them. (The sweetness was lovely!)

Stacy has noted an apple, raw almond and lightly burned toast flavor…which I thought about for awhile. I could imagine a fragrant yellow apple, home grown…sweet and cold chopped and mixed with a little grilled white pork and sprinkled with some almonds. The meat would have to have some roasty bits from the bottom of the pan.

I get carried away….

Boy this is good tea! An Oolong that doesn’t get astringent, has just enough roasty, floral, fruity flavor too! This is not your average Oolong. It’s substantial!

This Fui Fei Oolong would be a great choice for Fall and Winter.

Tonight my daughter and two of my grandaughters (Megan and Kiah) came over and brought me presents! (not an occasion, just being nice!)

A new electric tea pot (stainless this time) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel DVD! Yes!
I’ve already seen the movie and it’s really fun to see especially with Chai.

Because I knew the ladies were coming over I warmed this Chocolate Phoenix Chai in 56 oz. of milk slowly on the stove, adding honey just before straining and serving.

The tea was frothy and creamy smooth, full of caramel and cocoa.
The taste of natural, subtle vanilla had bloomed in the warm milk.

I had placed a bowl of ginger cookies on the coffee table to eat with the Chai. Dunk and eat or sip and take a bite, whatever the style, the pair went really well together. The Chai wasn’t too spicy so the cookie spiciness was perfect.

I had to make this second tasting note since we had such a great time sipping this Chai tonight, watching a good movie together.
What a great family!

I’d love to have a Chai holiday party. Everyone brings a hot Chai in a thermos so it doesn’t have to be heated. Has to be labeled and let the tasting begin.

Great Chai! Cheers!

Thank you mrmopar for this sample Pu-erh!

My education in Pu-erh has come from the generous people here on Steepster who share with me from their personal supplies of Pu-erh (like mrmopar, Roughage in the U.K. and others) and samples put in with my orders from so many vendors. Thank you all!

It’s funny to look back and remember my first experience with
Pu-erh’s.
They were so heavily flavored that I could barely detect the underlying earthiness…but it was there, and I developed a hunger for it.
This is where I began this morning. Thinking about the ignorance of the newcomer to Pu-erh. My ignorance, which I still have.

Recently on a discussion thread, someone took a shot at one of our vendors, then at me (for knowing nothing about Pu-erh).
When I read their linked blog comments they were also critical of ‘all’ of us on Steepster.
I was offended not so much for myself but everyone else.
The potshots at me were correct though. I ‘am’ a learner and I ’don’t’ know very much about tea yet.
My lack of humility suckered me into a dialog that I should have stayed out of. The people who made the comments don’t write reviews on Steepster. They just appeared out of the blue.

I’m learning about Pu-erh because of you wonderfully kind Steepster people.
One thing I swear I never want to be is a TEA SNOB! I’d rather stay right here and review tea than gain the respect of those who despise Steepsterites!

The Pu-erh for this morning:
The aroma of the wet leaves for every pour was mild shoe leather.
On all but the first steep the liquor was dark red-brown and clear.

1. After a 30 second rinse, the liquor was light brown. It was tight, compact bark waiting to open. The flavor was light cedar, a little rough and furry with a slight pepper on the tip of my tongue.

2. The flavor was much smoother but with an almost bitter chicory cedar taste. The other comparison was the thick bitter taste of dark rye bread. There was little saltiness or sweetness but lots of juice.

3. This steep produced a softer, milder cedar flavor and thickness. There was an alfalfa sprout scent and sweetness with the taste of water crackers. The earlier bitter edge was gone but the chicory was still there in a palatable mild form with a rich mouth-feel.

4. Up front there was pepper and juiciness. The flavor was similar to steeping #3 and smooth.

I thought about this Pu-erh, and even though this has been rated as ready to drink…it seems to me that it still hasn’t developed full depth. Maybe this is where it will remain though. If it were a wine I would liken it to a mild Merlot (and Merlot is NOT a dirty word, it just was overproduced in horrid amounts by every closet winemaker on earth!).

So much of what I love about Pu-erh comes from my Winery background and from living in Morgan Hill where we grew mushrooms, and were surrounded by farms and wineries. Living next to Gilroy, Salinas, Watsonville and Monterey with all the fruit, vegetables, mountains and Sea gave me a sense of what I look for in Pu-erh.

I may be wrong some of the time, or maybe all of the time but I’m certainly enjoying myself!

I have found what I really love to drink and I think the love shows.