Charles Thomas Draper

Quite frankly I knew I was in for a special tea. The dried leaves are the longest I have ever seen. The initial steepings presented an intense mouth feel and flavors that I can never describe. The later steepings became more subdued but still beyond interesting nonetheless. I have totally fallen for the world of Sheng. Beyond the flavor and aroma profiles you are dealing with teas which are mind blowing. Teas that take your mind and body to places you have never been before. To say I highly recommend this tea would be an understatement.

I have truly gone astray into the world of Sheng Puer a

fter erichbenoit was beyond generous in sending me samples of the tea worlds finest treasures. This one is intense. Intense in aroma. Intense in flavor. My mouth is wet with its beautiful flavor. A flavor that seems to linger endlessly. The energy I am feeling is beyond description. This is serious tea. Very serious. As you can see by my typing skills being totally impaired.

This is another tea I brought for the evacuation from Hurricane Sandy. I brought samples sizes to enjoy and to provide me with peace of mind during this difficult time. I now know that my neighborhood was spared. I live a block from Marven Gardens in Margate, New Jersey. It’s on the same island as Atlantic City. Sorry to ramble about the storm. This Dragon Well is absolutely delicious. Very green like evergreens in a cool mountaintop. As with all fine tea it has given me contentment. It’s very comforting to the soul. Content to deal with utter devastation in my native state. PS, Angel can I get an extension on the coupon code??

I had to evacuate my home yesterday. One never knows what a hurricane may do. I decided to bring this along if things get bad. The center of the storm is coming soon and already there is flooding of historical proportions. The first few sips are tingling my tongue and throat. An immediate warmth is felt upon my whole body. After sipping, I sigh. What a lovely tea. My pores feel as if they are all open and breathing in this intense tea. My mouth is wet and the tea flavor continues to linger. There are moments in ones life when certain teas help one cope with certain situations. This is when one turns to Sheng.

This is what I turned to after my very relaxing trip with the Mi Lan Black. This is the newer version of the Zhu Rong. The leaves are longer and much lighter in color than the earlier version. This when brewed reminds me of the Golden Fleece. There is this sudden rush of flavor with an intense mouth coating and a lingering flavor. The energy is perfect. Certain teas should be consumed at certain times for maximum pleasure. The Zhu Rongs are very high on my list of best black teas.

The dried leaf leaf is long and slender and beautiful. I brewed this in my Gaiwan for my morning brew with high expectations. The first steeping of around a minute yielded a fruity, sweet nectar that was very, very similar to the Mi Lan Dancong Oolong. This was my morning brew and it did awaken my mind but my body became incredibly relaxed. The flavor and aroma are there. I just think maybe if one wishes to consume this in the morning that a basket-style brewing with a longer steeping will bring out a stronger energy that one needs to start the day. This is a very fine tea that I believe is better suited for an evening cup…

This truly is an elegant tea. In my previous tasting I thought it was better suited as an evening tea. It does not have a robust flavor but it does have an intense energy that is capable of awakening any hardened tea drinker. I just wish it was not so expensive. See my previous notes and others who love this tea.

I was in the mood for a green tea this evening and I picked a good one. The dried leaf has a nice aroma but my spider senses tell me it’s the 2011 harvest. I have a Liu An Gua Pian that was sent from Anhui that looks much fresher. That tea is definitely this years harvest. This is still a very vibrant tea with a nice full flavor. This tea is also making me perspire on my forehead. I can feel the purifying effects of this lovely tea upon my body and mind.

I know I have been absent for quite a while. September normally is one of the best if not the best surfing month of the year. And this one was of the best ever. So everything gets postponed. Sidetracked. Except for Tea. I drink it religiously. I just did not write about it. I have to tell you all about my first experience with this Sheng. I never brought a Pu-er to work before because quite frankly they can be wild. Normally it is an Oolong or a green for my 9pm tea. My friends and I enjoyed this. It provided superior flavor and mouth texture and an incredible buzz. I went to my GFs house with this feeling of utter calm and hightened state of well being. Then she gave me the soup made with black chicken, spinach and goji berries and ginseng and some other herbs. Three spoonfuls of the soup and I was sicker than sick. Apparently this is a no-no to combine a young Pu-er with what my friends call a “hot” soup. Not temperature wise but energy wise. OMG it was awful. FF to today I brewed this in my gaiwan and I lost count of the steeps. It started out slightly bitter with a golden hue and morphed into a sweeter liquid later with a flavor that seemed to linger. I feel the same euphoria as before only now I am wiser. I can only imagine how good this will be with aging.

Yes this does have an aroma similar to a Darjeeling. When I first tried this sample I was intrigued by the aroma. I must admit I was expecting something smoky. It was fruity and light after 4 minutes. I have to admit this is a nice evening tea….

I just got this in the mail from China today. This shipping was the fastest yet that I have seen from China. The dried leaf is delicate and twisted with an inviting aroma. After several minutes of boiling water the deep red brew was honey sweet and smooth and creamy. A very nice mouth-feel and a lingering energy.

I bought this on EBay after searching China Teas and this one caught my eye. It came in a small tin with 16 5 gram bags. The shipping was free and the tea was under $10. I enjoyed the fine flavor….

I had this again today and upped the dosage and shortened the steep time and it was perfect. It was slightly numbing intially and very flavorful. I literally had this energy. This sense of purpose. A great tea buzz to say the least…. I am still buzzing hours later.

I just got this in the mail and I could not wait to brew it. The dried leaf is long, dark and wiry and has a light fruity aroma that would make me think it was flavored. It’s not. When I was brewing it the fruit aroma becomes more intense. The flavor reminds me of some of the fruitier Da Hong Paos. Honey and peaches. Delicious. Superb. This is a very fine tea.

I puchased this unopened vintage tea from a gentleman in England. I approached this one carefully. I really did not know if it was even safe to drink. The tea was either a CTC or has been reduced to almost a powder over the years. When I poured the boiling water on it became darker than coffee within seconds. I let it steep for maybe 30 seconds. I thought maybe a rinse might be in order. The aroma is ancient yet sweet with a touch of wood and cinnamon and the flavor is too. The liquor is electric. It has this energy in my mouth that is wild. The second cup, steeped for a minute is much mellower. This tea has warmed me greatly and I am feeling a slight euphoria. This was different. This was wild….

The picture I enclosed is blurry. The tin has a scenes of older year China which is quite beautiful but I find it odd that they put it on an Indian-Ceylon tea….

This was the last of my black tea samples from Upton. It brewed up strong yet it was not too bold. It was eye-opening and invigorating. As far as CTC teas go, this was a pleasant suprise. Rich and malty and very flavorful.

This is a great way to start the day if you need something extra strong. Between the robust flavor and caffeine content there lies a very good tea. In all honesty I do not think I can handle another cup. This has me flying. I enjoyed this more than the East Frisian TGFOP. More than the River Shannon and the Scottish Breakfast. It’s raining here yet this tea has made me feel like it’s a sunny day. This is a perfect morning brew for those who can handle it….

After a wonderful dinner I was in need of tea. Today already I drank 3 different black teas (I only reviewed 1) and decided to have something green. And this was my choice. A wise choice I might add. The aroma of the dried leaf is heavenly. It gave me an indication of what was to come. I brewed this in the Gaiwan. The flavor was as good as Long Jing gets and I’ve had many. I was imagining high foggy mountains with lush old growth evergreens. The flavors lingered in my mouth for what seemed like an eternity. This is a top flight Dragon Well.

After drinking some fine Yunnans lately I was wondering how this would compare. It was dark and a bit spicy. I was also getting a slight cocoa sweetness. This was a nice way to start the day. For the price its well worth it. I am sure it will be better next time….

When I first received this tea I was actually heading out the door to do errands or golf. I do not remember nor is it important. I hastily tore into the package and smelled the aroma. I knew it was special. So I put some of the leaf into my tiny Celestial Seasons Sleepytime tin and figured there would be hot water somewhere. Still not conquering my haste I decided to sample the dry leaf between my cheek and gum. It was utterly intoxicating. My first brewing of the tea was done according to the video of David on Verdants site. Everything about this tea is true. Truly sublime.
I began to feel sick later that week and really could not stomach anything. Even tea. Even Golden Fleece. I know many of you read about my hospital stay with Ehrlichiosis so I will fast-forward to now….
As you all know I love to cold-brew. I took a tiny jar that held YS Eco Bee Farms Antioxidant Power Honey and gave it a 4 day steep. Words cannot do this golden nectar justice. I do not want to start rambling about the present here and now which is where this tea shines. This a very special tea leaf….

I love everytime I sample a new tea. Sometimes I am disappointed and times like today when I am pleased. As with all new teas I like to keep an eye and a nose on it while it steeps. The result was a pleasure. Dark and sweet with hints of darker fruits and dark honey. I can see where the lover of Keemuns would appreciate this but I feel it truly stands on its own. This one made me smile.

This tea was a wonderful way to start the day. With most Keemuns I tend to use a bit more leaf and I increase the steep time to about 5 or 6 minutes. I could smell the fragrance. A beautiful aroma. The flavor was so smooth with hints of chocolate and whole grain fresh baked bread. The best part was the lingering taste in my mouth long after I stopped drinking. Sublime. Well worth adding to your tea collection….

After many traditional brewings in the Gaiwan and basket single cup I decided to cold-brew. I left it in the Mason Jar for 2 days and the result is where I thought this tea should be. It has this light and fruity mellow flavor that is perfect on a summer day. When I hot brewed this left me wondering. Cold-brewed it is awesome.

Another sampler for my morning cup. This Assam brewed up dark and after 3 minutes I decided to give it a sip. It was pleasant even though I was expecting a stronger flavor. As I continued I was truly loving this cup. Nice sweet flavor of dark honey and cocoa. After reading Amys review I decided to steep it for over 5 minutes. This is where it opened up and shined. I can only imagine how nice a 5 minute initial steep would of been.

If Amy is correct about the pricing this tea is a bargain.

I thoughly enjoyed my morning cup. And today this was my choice. I have a dizzying array of samples to choose from and for some reason this one was selected.

I noticed the small leaf and I knew to keep a close eye to avoid oversteeping. I settled in on an approximately 4 minute steep. I was greeted by a dark red brew that was delicious. It was smooth and clean and a perfect tea for my morning. It was awakening. I did not notice any dominant or subtle flavors yet there is this balance, a ying and yang that seemed to be in harmony.

When all is said and done with my black tea samples I would have to guess that China is the clear winner of tea producing countries.